Our founder, Dr. Jean Qiu, developed the Cellometer Auto T4 in 2005 after receiving a request for such an instrument from a customer at NIH, and we officially launched it at AACR 2006.  As we come up on the 10 year anniversary of the original launch of our first automated cell counter it got us thinking. When we created the first automated cell counter, we created the market for such devices and we were alone in the equipment space for 2-3 years before any other company came out with competitive products. (Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right?)  It was common to hear early on from potential customers, “Why do I need an automated counter? I’ve graduate students to count our cells.”  It’s probably one of objections we still hear fairly frequently. Coupled with that, it always amazes us when we come across potential customers who had no idea there was even any other option aside from manually counting cells with a hemacytomer.

 

We started gathering feedback from our Cellometer users in 2012 and we love hearing from them. If you’re wondering if an automated cell counter is right for you, we suggest you check out why our current customers use and love the Cellometer instruments.

 

One of our first comments on file came from the University of Chicago in 2012:

“The Cellometer has decreased the time spent counting cells significantly. We can isolate cells from 30+ mice and instead of spending over an hour counting cells, we can have it done in duplicate in half the time. This means our experiments can be done how we want them to be done instead of worrying about splitting them into two days because of the time cells would end up just sitting on ice waiting to be plated. For a bigger lab this wouldn’t be an issue, but for a smaller lab of 3 people, the extra time saved makes the experiments run much smoother.”

 

In 2013 we received feedback from a user at the Washington University in St. Louis:

“My colleagues really love the easy use of the Nexcelom Cellometer. It has been a lifesaver from the hemacytometer. We are actually thinking about purchasing a new machine for backup. We are very happy with this instrument.”

 

Feedback really accumulated starting in 2014 when we were receiving comments twice a week. While we never aimed to make “sexy” instruments- instead preferring they were sturdy and robust, it was flattering to receive the following note from North Carolina State University users:

“Using the Cellometer Auto 2000 has been an exhilarating experience. From the ease of use to accurate results, there is not a bad thing to be said about this fine piece of equipment. The focus buttons are extremely responsive and have a great tactile feel. Plus, the Cellometer Auto 2000’s sleek silver exterior is easy on the eyes.”  

 

The Translational Genomics Research Institute shared:

“The Cellometer has sped up our lab’s cell culture workflow greatly as it counts much more rapidly than other counting machines we have tried. We also like the intuitive software and ability to create custom profiles that we can save for each cell line.”  

 

Hanger 24 reported:

“The Nexelcom Cellometer X2 has made our daily cell counts and cellar reports much faster and easier. The software interface and sample prep is easy to perform and give consistent, reliable data.”

 

Multiple researchers at Florida State University College of Medicine shared:

“Using the Cellometer Vision CBA has saved me so much time! I am able to get consistent viability data with much less time spent on sample preparation. It has also been great to complete cell cycle analyses without using FACS.”

“The Cellometer Vision is a great product! The instrument is quick and easy to learn to use, and the software is very user friendly. We have used the our Cellometer to obtain data that we would normally have to use the flow cytometry facilities to get. The machine has made of number of data types both inexpensive and quick to obtain. In addition to the product itself, the customer service we have received is excellent – only adding to the quality of the product!”

 

University of Virginia sent in the following praise:

“Great product!  Saves me an hour of eye-straining counting.  I count my cells before labeling with antibodies for flow cytometry.  Now I can easily double the number of samples I can analyze in one day.”

 

One of our customers is a regenerative medicine company and we’ve heard back from multiple users there:

“The Cellometer has been a great asset to multiple departments in our company. When looking to move from flow cytometry cell counting methods to microscopy cell counting, we tested many options and settled on the Cellometer from Nexcelom. We now use these instruments at two sites and within our manufacturing and QC departments. We are still in our validation phases with the instruments but they will eventually become our primary method for manufacturing and QC. I enjoy using this instrument because their is no setup or shutdown procedures that are needed. You can simply turn it on, use it, and shut it off. So easy!”

“The Cellometer K2 instrument is a simple, quick, visual cell counting platform. We love the clear images and easily discerned confirmation of that the cell count data is real because you can see the count for your own two eyes. It has allowed us to move away from difficult flow cytometer and subjective hemocytometer methods.”

“Transitioning to the Nexcelom Cellometer from our previous method using Flow Cytometry, has been smooth and efficient with the help of the great team at Nexcelom support. The software is very user friendly and the instrument is maintenance free. I would highly recommend the Nexcelom Cellometer K2 to other facilities looking to use image-based cell counting systems.”

The love from our customers kept increasing in 2015 and now, in 2016, we’re receiving comments and feedback on a nearly daily basis.  It’s a great feeling to know the products we delivered over 10 years ago are still in the field. It’s an even better feeling knowing that those same instruments are not tucked away in a closet, but are still being used and aiding researchers.

If you’re considering an automated cell counter system – you’ve many options to choose from these days. You can reach out to us and we’ll tell you why we think a Cellometer is a great option for you – or you can ask to speak with some of our current customers, and they can share their experiences with Cellometer and with Nexcelom.  They are our best advocates and we certainly love our customers.