CytoSMART Omni
Live-cell imaging
for high-throughput
experiments
CytoSMART Omni
Being able to monitor cell cultures over time provides a great insight into their physiology and function. Live-cell imaging microscopes open up novel and exciting avenues to study cellular health, viability, colony formation, migration, and cellular responses to external stimuli.
To help life science researchers improve their understanding of cellular processes, CytoSMART Technologies has developed an automated bright-field microscope that can visualize an entire surface of a cell culture vessel and operate from inside a standard CO2-incubator, biological safety cabinet or on a benchtop. Not limited to a specific type or quantity of culture vessels, the CytoSMART Omni captures cellular behavior by creating high-quality time-lapse videos for days or even weeks at a time.
Top-end technology that keeps on improving.
"Constant development of analysis software in cloud is excellent. Hardware improvements are immediately implemented into the device. Great support by the company."
Amazing for long-term imaging of whole wells and plates!
"Very easy product to use. Does require a bit of setup, but the company sends out a representative to help with this. Also, they ask what I want to use the device for and really tailor the experience. Love that it can be used inside an incubator as I had trouble with long-term imaging with on stage incubators for big microscopes. Also, don't need to worry about fluctuations in temperature and oxygen percentages and deal with oxygen tanks. The confluency data is very useful and produces graphs ready for you to use. Maybe have more options for well/plates to be able to scan."
Very good and recommended.
"The device was very easy to set up, run experiments in and the data it produces is reliable."
Useful tool that allows for fast progression.
"Compact and nicely-designed piece of equipment. Very straightforward to use in terms of hardware and software."
Continuous imaging provides real-time insight into cellular processes
Perform kinetic assays over the course of days or even weeks
Time-lapse imaging allows you to pinpoint important events in the progression of the cell culture from experiment to experiment. Uncover attachment and detachment rates, evaluate events like cell death and compare growth rates. Data collection using video monitoring allows users to capture changes within samples and compare the rate of change between samples. With the integrated Continue Experiment feature, it is now possible to perform multiple transient screens in parallel to an ongoing long-term kinetic assay by simply pausing the running experiment.
Complete overview of sample confluency
Achieved by automated full plate scanning and image stitching
Manual handling and cell seeding can cause a variable density distribution within culture vessels. Randomly selecting several areas of interest or tile scanning is common practice to overcome that issue, however this is either time-consuming to set-up or to post-process. The CytoSMART Omni automatically scans complete well surface areas and instantly stitches these images to give users a complete overview of cell coverage.
Compatibility with any transparent culture vessel
Imaging of full plates, flasks, dishes and microfluidic devices
Cell based assays and subculturing all benefit from standardization. Choosing the right vessel and going through the process of understanding how cells behave in said vessel is vital for reproducibility. The CytoSMART Omni is highly flexible and is compatible to any transparent vessel that is lower than 55 mm. All vessels with a surface area smaller than 99*131 mm can be imaged in full (6 – 384-well plates, T-25 – T225, Petri dishes, triple flasks, and HYPERFlasks).
Efficient screening of culture multiwell plates
The CytoSMART Omni can scan up to 6 vessels per hour
High-throughput experiments are not limited to a single culture vessel. The CytoSMART Omni can process multiple plates in quick succession, automatically stitching acquired images and safely storing data for each individual plate.
The CytoSMART Omni is ideal to perform kinetic assays to map cell proliferation, which we use as a tool to understand drug resistance in pancreatic cancer cell lines.
Dr. Martin Sprick | Senior Group Leader
Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine
- Incubator-friendly
- Label-free cellular assays
- Time-lapse videos
- Image stitching
- Cloud-based image analysis algorithms
Would you like to test if the CytoSMART Omni is beneficial for your laboratory?
Kinetic assays: cell proliferation, migration,
colony formation & more
Image analysis can be used to extract valuable information from time-lapse videos. Use our cell monitoring software to investigate and compare parameters like cell confluence, area infiltration (wound healing assays) and growth rate.
Perform analysis at desired culturing environment
The CytoSMART Omni is designed for your incubator
Live-cell imaging systems require environmental control during the experiment. To ensure the proper environmental conditions, users can place the compact CytoSMART Omni inside any standard cell culture incubator. The smooth curvatures of the CytoSMART Omni platform ensures minimal airflow disturbance. This ensures that your samples stay in their desired, homogeneous environment throughout the entire experiment. What's more, the versatile nature of the CytoSMART Omni allows it to be used directly at a bench or biological safety cabinet, ensuring the most optimal setting for conducting an imaging experiment.
Ensure sample stability while imaging
Produce bright-field images without moving your samples
Acquiring images can be highly disturbing to living cells. Environmental shock, like sudden changes in the atmosphere and mechanical disturbance can negatively influence cell viability. The CytoSMART Omni rapidly captures bright field images at cell-level detail without disturbing the cells. Users can set the desired imaging parameters using their own computer and the CytoSMART Omni will follow that scanning regime. There is no need to move a culture vessel on the sample stage, since the camera moves along the platform to capture the entire area of the vessel. Automated time-lapse imaging eliminates the need for any manual interference. Imaging using such a stable system prevents unwanted disturbances and reduces imaging artifacts.
Technical specifications
| Unit dimensions | 396 x 345 x 171 mm (L x W x H) |
|---|---|
| Weight | 9 kg |
| Optics | Bright-field with digital phase contrast |
| Magnification | 10x fixed objective |
| Light source | LED |
| Camera | 5 MP CMOS |
| Scan area | 99 * 131 mm |
| Exported formats | JPG, XLSX & MP4 |
| Well plate types | 6 - 96 well plates |
| Culture flask types | petri dishes, T25 - T225, triple flasks and HYPERFlasks |
| Other labware | Anything transparent and lower than 55 mm |
| Operating environment | 5-40 °C, 20-95% humidity |
| Support | Via email and live chat |
| Research use only. Not intended for diagnostic purposes |
Videos
Appnotes
Cell Viability Analysis
Cell Cytoxicity Assay to Analyze Drug Response
Downloads
Brochure CytoSMART Omni
Omni-brochure-v3-148x148mm-sprea ( PDF - 6 MB )
Case Study Fibroblast Scratch Assay Protocol Omni
Case-Study-Fibroblast-Scratch-Assay-Protocol-Omni ( PDF - 771 KB )
Cyto SMART Omni Whitepaper Metabolic Activity Assay vs Confluence
CytoSMART-Omni-Whitepaper-Metabolic-Activity-Assay-vs-Confluence ( PDF - 353 KB )
Cell culture optimization - appnote
Using-Bright-Field-Video-Monitoring-Inside-Incubator-For-Cell-Culture-Optimization_200228_143933 ( PDF - 1 MB )
Cell proliferation - appnote
Real-Time-Monitoring-of-Cell-Growth ( PDF - 1 MB )
Frequently Asked Questions
Inverted bright field microscopy is used and images are enhanced using digital phase contrast. The camera moves below the sample stage. Samples are illuminated using LED lighting and a scanning motion, which facilitates sequential image generation. One complete scan takes 6 minutes in which 6500 images are generated. These are captured and stitched to form an image of a 99*131 mm surface area. The images are uploaded to the CytoSMART™ Cloud, there they can be analyzed using our image analysis algorithms.
You can specify the interval rate between 1 - 24 h or choose to perform a single scan.
The magnification is equivalent to 10X objective of a traditional bright field microscope
Confluence, scratch analysis and colony detection are currently part of the image analysis software package. Users always have the option to download the raw image data and perform their own analysis.
Yes, the CytoSMART Omni is designed to be used inside a cell culture incubator. Its hardware and electronics can operate at 5 - 40 °C and between 20 - 95% humidity.
No, our image analysis algorithms are optimized to be used in label-free assays, so you don’t have to add (toxic) dyes to your cells, providing a non-invasive analysis of your cells.
Yes, the device can only be used with a Windows-based computer with a USB 3.0 port (which can also be purchased at CytoSMART™). A WiFi or wired ethernet connection is necessary to be able to connect to the CytoSMART™ Cloud for data storage and analysis.
Any culture vessel that is lower than 55 mm (height of the light arc) can be scanned. However, the size of the scan is limited to 99*131 mm, which fits a complete T175 flask.
Some examples include 6-96 well plates, petri dishes, T25 - T225, triple flasks and HYPERFlasks.
Yes, after sterilizing with ethanol (70%) or IPA, the device can be used in a cleanroom. Do not use Acetone to clean the device, also the device cannot be autoclaved.
Cell Viability Analysis
Cell viability, growth and cytotoxicity studies can be performed using metabolic activity assays. The overall metabolic activity of the cell is indicated by the enzymatic cleavage of colorimetric or fluorescent substrates.
While these assays are relatively straightforward and cheap, they are dependent on culture conditions and intrinsic metabolic activity of the cell type that is being investigated. Furthermore, depletion of the metabolic substrate can lead to a plateau in the fluorescent signal, making assay output unreliable. To overcome these limitations cell viability could be determined optically using confluency measurements.
In the study described here the performance of confluency measurements to assess cell viability were compared to a metabolic activity assay: cell titer blue. Confluency was visualized using automated bright-field microscopy and subsequently analyzed using image analysis algorithms. Images were collected inside a CO2-incubator, keeping the culture at optimal conditions. For the cell titer blue assay resazurin was added to the medium and incubated for 3 hours. The fluorescent signal was normalized to the control to obtain the relative metabolic activity as a measure of cell viability. The comparison between the methods was performed for two pancreatic cancer cell lines, PACO7 and POCA43.
Cell Cytoxicity Assay to Analyze Drug Response
The effect of drugs and drug candidates on the viability of cells in culture can be determined using cell counting, live/dead assays and metabolic assays. However, these assays are often end-point measurements. Alternatively, cells can be monitored using bright-field microscopy, by creating time-lapse videos for a culture period of multiple days. To study the lasting effect of the drug candidate.
In this study the cytotoxic effect of a chemotherapy drug was investigated for a range of concentrations. The effect on cell viability between drug concentrations was compared by analyzing confluency measurements obtained using automated live-cell imaging. The entire experiment was performed inside a CO2-incubator, ensuring optimal culturing conditions and cells were imaged every hour for a period of 3 days.
Cell Migration
Cell migration is essential for physiological development and homeostasis, among other things. It is part of processes such as angiogenesis and wound healing. Conversely, cell migration in pathologies, including cancer can lead to worsening and progression of the diseased state.
To gain insight into collective cell migration a variety of assays have been developed. One of which is the wound healing assay, also known as the scratch assay. In this procedure a ‘wound’ is made in a confluent monolayer of cells, after which the gap closure is quantitatively monitored.
For this study a wound healing assay was performed to assess the effect of a chemotherapy drug on the migration of C6 rat glail tumor cells. Automated live-cell imaging was performed inside a CO2-incubator to ensure cells are kept at the desired conditions during the entire experiment. The experiment was performed in a 24 well plate, which was fully imaged every hour for 23 hours. The surface area and gap closure speed were compared for increasing concentrations of the drug.