Hamamatsu said that the uCELL (micro cell) offers a cost-effective way for biotechnology companies, research institutes, and clinical research organizations to introduce advanced FDSS (Functional Drug Screening System) technology to their daily operations. It is ideally suited for labs that require access to the functionality of expensive drug discovery instrumentation, but at lower cost.
The FDSS/uCELL is reported to have designed for fast and easy operation. It accepts plates in either 96 or 384 well format, and is equipped with a high-sensitivity camera that images the entire plate simultaneously. The process results in shorter readout times than conventional scanning-based systems.
Agonist/antagonist assays can be performed in the same run. Software allows users to quickly set assay parameters in a single protocol, which can be later transferred to an FDSS7000 for further screening. An optional washing system enables tips to be reused several times.
Hamamatsu is the North American subsidiary of Hamamatsu Photonics KK (Japan), a manufacturer of devices for the generation and measurement of infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. The devices include photodiodes, photomultiplier tubes, scientific light sources, infrared detectors, photoconductive detectors, and image sensors.