New Automated Colony Counter/ Zone Sizing System With Unique HD Imaging

The ProtoCOL 2 is an ergonomically designed imaging unit with dark screens to
eliminate ambient light effects and improve imaging results. The unit contains a
high resolution camera and red, blue and green LED lighting (patent pending)
integrated to a processor and software. The software is accessed via a touch
screen monitor sitting above the unit and features on screen commands, allowing
users to intuitively set their system up in minutes. These settings can be saved to
make analysing the same plate types at a later date, a quick one touch process.

The ProtoCOL 2 system’s unique lighting method illuminates the plates in three
different colours. The system’s camera captures each image and integrates them
in seconds to generate high definition, life-like images. This enables precise
counts of difficult to see colonies and accurate measurements of zones with
indistinct edges.

The results can be downloaded to a memory stick via the USB ports on the
ProtoCOL 2. Alternatively, the system can easily be connected to a PC network
allowing users to capture, print and save full colour images or download numerical
data to Excel. The GLP compliant ProtoCOL 2 software can be integrated into a
21 CFR Part 11 environment and is modular so users can cost-effectively
customise their system to include the colony counting or zone sizing analysis
programmes which suit them.

Martin Smith of Synbiosis said: “Microbiologists want to rapidly count colonies or
accurately size zones with affordable, yet simple to programme equipment. This is technically challenging and we have spent four years developing such automation.
We are looking forward to demonstrating how the lighting and software in the
ProtoCOL 2 could significantly improve results for applications as diverse as
counting E.coli colonies through to testing flu vaccines.”
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For Further Information Contact:
Jayne Arthur, Synbiosis, Beacon House, Nuffield Road, Cambridge, CB4 1TF, UK.
Tel: +44(0) 1223-727125 Fax +44 (0) 1223-727101
Email: jayne.arthur@synbiosis.com Web site: www.synbiosis.com

Editor Contact:
Dr Sue Pearson, Director, International Science Writer, PO Box 170, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG5 3GD, UK.
Tel/Fax +44 (0)1462-635327 Email: sue6.pearson@ntlworld.com