Scepter™ 2.0 is your portable cell counter. While other automated counters consume bench space and rely on object recognition software, manual focusing, and clumsy loading chambers, the Scepter™ cell counter provides true automation without the error that accompanies vision-based systems. With its microfabricated, precision-engineered sensor, the Scepter™ cell counter does all the work and delivers accurate and reliable cell counts in less than 30 seconds.

Scepter™ 2.0 Cell Counter marks the next generation in Scepter™ cell counting technology:

Compatibility with More Cell Types

The Scepter™ cell counter is the only one on the market to accurately count particles as small as 3 µm in diameter

Increased Cell Concentration Range

The new 40 µm sensor can count samples with concentrations as high as 1,500,000 cells/mL

Powerful Software for Complex, Effortless Cell Analysis

Compare sample sets side by side using histogram overlay and multiparametric data table

Create and save gating templates

Generate reports, graphs and tables

The power of Cell Counting precision

Trust Scepter™ counting with your most valuable samples to get reproducible and reliable counts. The reliability of Scepter™ counting is particularly apparent with smaller cell types. Because the Scepter™ cell counter measures volume using the Coulter Principle, it can quantify cells based on size and will discriminate larger cells from smaller debris, unlike vision based techniques, which rely on object recognition software and cannot reliably detect small cells.

Scepter™ Cell Counter sensor technology

Compatible with 60 µm and 40 µm sensors, the Scepter™ 2.0 cell counter can meet even more of your cell- and particle-counting needs. Use the 60 µm sensor for particles between 6 and 36 µm. Use the 40 µm sensor for particles between 3 and 17 µm.

Precise volumes are drawn into the Scepter™ sensor.

As cells flow through the aperture in the sensor, resistance increases. This increase in resistance causes a subsequent increase in voltage.

Voltage changes are recorded as spikes with each passing cell.

Spikes of the same size are bucketed into a histogram and counted. This histogram gives you quantitative data on cell morphology that can be used to examine the quality and health of your cell culture.

Scepter™ cell counting delivers precision

There is no need to subjectively determine cell counts, as required by vision-based counting methods. The Scepter™cell counter detects every cell and displays the population as a histogram of cell size distributions. From the histogram, count all the cells or use the gating function to count a chosen subpopulation. By monitoring changes in your histogram, you can gain insight into the health and quality of your cell culture from one experiment to the next.

The average percent coefficient of variation (CV) for each counting method shown was calculated using cell concentration measurements at 50,000 cells/mL samples of 19 different cell lines. The Scepter™ cell counter is more precise than vision-based counting and hemocytometry, and approaches the precision of the Coulter Counter® standard (maroon bars). Error bars represent standard deviation.

Format Counting methods Sample volume needed Sample volume counted Cells counted in a 100,000 cell/mL sample Average % CV Hemocytometer Slide and microscope Manual, vision-based 10 µL .1 µL/square 10/square 41.8 Brand L Benchtop Automated vision-based system 10 µL .4 µL 40 32.1 Scepter™ Cell Counter Handheld Impedance-based cell detection 100 µL 50 µL 5000 9.1

As easy as pipetting

Prepare the sample:

Start with a single-cell suspension, diluted to a total volume of 100 µL (recommended) in phosphate buffered saline (such as EmbryoMax® 1x DPBS) to 10,000-500,000 cells/mL (operating range for 60 µm sensor) in a 1.5 mL microcentrifuge tube.

Perform cell count:

Turn on the Scepter™ cytometer by pressing the toggle on the back of the instrument and wait for on-screen instructions to appear.

When prompted, attach a sensor to the end of the Scepter™ unit with the electrode sensing panel facing toward the front of the instrument, andyou’ll see detailed instructions for each step of the counting process.

Pipette once to draw sample into the sensor. 50 µL of your cell suspension is drawn into the microfabricated, precision-engineered channel embedded in the sensor. The cell sensing zone detects each cell drawn into the sensor and thus cell concentration is calculated.

The sensing zone also measures cell sizes and cell volumes with sub-micron and sub-picoliter resolution, enabling the Scepter™ cytometer to display a histogram distribution of cell size or cell volume.

Intuitive analysis software

From simple counts to complex volume measurements used to assess cell health parameters, Scepter™ Software Pro provides an intuitive, intelligent platform to perform high-level cell analysis based on the size measurements captured with the Scepter™ cell counter.

A view of Scepter™ Software Pro

Using the Scepter™ Software Pro on your computer, you can: