Automatic Zone Analysis System

Counting colonies and measuring zones using traditional manual methods are tedious tasks requiring high levels of concentration. The new colony counters and zone sizers improve a laboratory's efficiency, reliability, and productivity.

Autozone was developed by Synbiosis (Cambridge, UK). The analyzer consists of a computer-controlled, high-resolution charged-couple device (CCD) camera on an automated gantry system. The camera automatically moves from zone to zone, rapidly reading and recording zone diameters with +/-0.01mm accuracy. The system can analyze a 64-zone bioassay plate (including the diameter calculation and image archiving), in just 70 seconds, around 25 times faster than manual analysis. Additionally, the average diameter measurement is based on the entire zone area, making the results more precise than those taken from manual single or double diameter measurements.

Users can create and recall automatic scanning patterns for different plate configurations, making Autozone ideal for multi-zone bioassay plate analysis (commonly 36 and 64 zone plates), and single radial immunodiffusion assay plate reads, according to Synbiosis. The zone reading results and zone images are automatically recorded by good laboratory practice (GLP) compliant software, eliminating any keying or scanning errors that can occur during data transfer. This information is instantly saved to hard disk for secure archiving or to generate professional reports for audit by regulatory agencies.

Simon Johns, divisional manager for Synbiosis, stated: "We are very excited about our new Autozone system because it makes an essential part of antibiotic or vaccine manufacturing an effortless task. As the system can analyze 25 bioassay plates and produce results of unrivalled accuracy in the time it takes a scientist to manually measure just one, we are confident that any antibiotic or vaccine manufacturer using Autozone will significantly increase their productivity.”



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Synbiosis