Aber Instruments OPTURA PALM handheld contactless biomass sensor

Aber Instruments’ OPTURA PALM handheld biomass sensor, designed for non-invasive biomass measurement, allows rapid reading of cell density without sampling. This makes it suitable for laboratory applications such as monitoring seed trains as well as determining optimum cell harvest or virus infection times.

The product harnesses near-infrared (NIR) bio-reflectance for contactless biomass analysis: simply point the sensor at a culture vessel and it generates cell density readings within seconds without having to break the sterile barrier to take samples. The sensor can store up to 1000 readings and data can be easily downloaded via software which comes with the device. This allows scientists to use the product in remote or offsite locations and then transfer data back to the laboratory to create their own custom biomass calibration curves if they require them.

The robust device, consisting of a NIR unit and sensor measurement face, operates by emitting a NIR laser from the sensor into the media. Due to the wavelength used, only cells present in the media reflect light back to the sensor measurement face. Reflectance and biomass are proportionally related so that, for example, a higher reflectance indicates a greater biomass. Since NIR can pass through glass or plastic vessel walls (up to 10 mm) and the laser has a penetration depth of 2.5 cm, it is possible to use the device to measure cells growing inside common labware such as shake flasks, T-flasks, roller bottles and polypropylene tubes in seconds without sampling.

Being able to measure cell density without having to remove cells for offline measurement saves time and effort by eliminating the risk of contaminating the culture and the need to repeat experiments. Additionally, because the product utilises a non-invasive yet quick measurement method, there is no need to use consumables such as single-use pipette tips or cuvettes.