CytoQuant^® - the world’s first mobile flow cytometer

The CytoQuant^® mobile flow cytometer enables the immediate verification of cleaning and disinfection by counting bacteria and residue particles found in environmental samples, such as swabs from food contact surfaces or rinse waters.

The safety and shelf life of many food products rely heavily on process hygiene. CytoQuant^® can make a difference for food producers by giving actionable information about the degree of equipment sanitation before production even starts. The device counts bacteria fast and accurately, enabling risk managers to take focused and effective pre-operational action. It counts all bacterium types, irrespective of growth requirements or physiological state, providing a high-resolution view into production hygiene.

CytoQuant^® can also be an essential component of an early-warning system, allowing manufacturers to act before bacterial contamination becomes a problem. Through targeted and tailored sanitation programs, superior production hygiene can be achieved, enhancing product safety and shelf life.

CytoQuant^® measures bacteria and particulate residue contamination in the food production environment. Separate, precise counts for each are provided in 30 seconds, with no need for pre-treatment, incubation, or chemical reagents, and without being influenced by trace detergents or disinfectants. By employing an impedance-based detection system, CytoQuant^® brings the power of flow cytometry – a technology commonly associated with drinking water hygiene – to the convenience of a hand-held device.

Due to their intact outer layers, viable bacterial cells suspended in an electrolyte solution have electrical properties which vary with the frequency of a passing current, thus eliciting subtle fluctuations in impedance. By measuring these, impedance flow cytometry can differentially count intact cells and other particles in a sample that is passed through a microfluidic flow cell with integrated electrodes.