Automatic colony counting and zone measuring

ProtoCOL 3

Overview
Why buy
Specifications
Software
Applications
Choosing and purchasing a system

ProtoCOL 3 is the next generation instrument for colony counting, zone measurements (inhibition and antibiotic susceptibility testing), membranes, PETRIFILMTM plates and a range of other applications including: spiral plates, OPKA (opsonophagocytic killing assay), SBA (serum bactericidal assay), Multi-sector, Multi-well, SRD (single radial immunodiffusion) and Ames. The new design now enables plates of up to 150mm diameter to be automatically read at the press of a button. Designed for use across a wide range of applications, ProtoCOL 3 will count colonies as small as 43 microns (0.043mm) or measure zones accurately to 0.5mm with a theoretical detection limit of 0.1mm.

ProtoCOL 3 has a unique LED lighting system configured for exceptional illumination of all sample types. High definition, colour images taken with a 1.4 mega pixel scientific grade CCD camera ensure that even the smallest colony can be seen and counted, while zone measurements are fast, accurate and reproducible.

ProtoCOL 3 is available with a mounted touch screen processor which enables ease of control while the easy-to-use software produces highly accurate results. Alternatively, the ProtoCOL 3 can now be used with a new or existing stand-alone desktop or laptop computer via USB connection – no additional PCI cards are required.

The new ProtoCOL 3 comes inclusive with both colony counting and zone measuring ability. To extend its range of applications, inexpensive additional modules can be added to the software for Spiral, OPKA, SBA, Multi-sector, Multi-well, Ames and antibiotic susceptibility testing (eAST). The Inhibition Zone software module is supplied as standard. Results can be automatically transferred to Excel or a LIMS system. The system can also be used with 1D barcodes. All data generated is GLP/GMP compliant with a full audit trail and can be used to produce professional reports. Each system comes complete with 2 validation plates.

PETRIFILMTM is a trademark of 3M Company. 3M Company is not affiliated with Synbiosis and does not endorse or certify Synbiosis’s products.

Automatic colony counting and zone measurements

	ProtoCOL 3	ProtoCOL 3 Plus
Construction	Ergonomic housing constructed in high density foam Integral CCD camera and lens	Ergonomic housing constructed in high density foam Integral CCD camera and lens Mounted all-in-one PC
Light shield	2 sliding doors to prevent excessive ambient light	2 sliding doors to prevent excessive ambient light
Camera	1.4m pixel scientific grade CCD camera USB integral camera with f1.2 lens	1.4m pixel scientific grade CCD camera USB integral camera with f1.2 lens
Resolution	For standard 150mm Petri dish, smallest detectable colony is 43 microns	For standard 150mm Petri dish, smallest detectable colony is 43 microns
Imaging	3 channel capture for colour images	3 channel camera for colour images
Lighting	Unique 3 channel (red, green, blue) LED lighting Multi-array LED lighting (computer controlled) Lower lighting with upper reflective lighting for all applications	Unique 3 channel (red, green, blue) LED lighting Multi-array LED lighting (computer controlled) Lower lighting with upper reflective lighting for all applications
External connections		All-in-one touch panel PC Windows 7 Professional 32 bit edition service pack 1 Intel Core i3-350M CPU @ 2.26GHz 4GB DDR3 RAM 160GB Hard drive Intel HD Graphics 17" SXGA panel screen with native optimal resolution of 1280 x 1024 4 x hi-speed USB 2.0 ports
Measurement modes	Colony counting and zone measurement	Colony counting and zone measurement
Count modes	Separation of touching colonies, exclusion areas, colour mode, shape mode, size mode	Separation of touching colonies, exclusion areas, colour mode, shape mode, size mode
Software	Win7 compatible	Win7 compatible
Database	SQL database stores all data and image locations	SQL database stores all data and image locations
Dimensions	450mm (h) x 500mm (d) x 400mm (w)	700mm (h) x 500mm (d) x 400mm (w)
Weight	20kg	30kg

Wide range of applications

The system can be configured for a wide range of plate types. These include:

Pour plates
Spiral plates
Multi-well
SBA (serum bactericidal assay)
OPKA (opsonophagocytic killing assay)
Ames
Inhibition zones
AST (antibiotic susceptibility testing)
SRD (single radial immunodiffusion)
For customers with GFP applications, Syngene (our sister company) has the complete solution - please look at our range of advanced gel doc systems by visiting the website