Ushio's New SOT Unit Enabling Continual Real-time Monitoring of Cultured Cell

CYPRESS, Calif. - Oct. 4, 2018 - PRLog -- Ushio Inc., alongside with Kumamoto University and Kyusyu University, has successfully developed Optical Measuring Unit enabling continuous real-time monitoring of cultured cell inside of an incubator.

This unit adopted SOT technology; optical technology developed by Ushio Inc. by utilizing silicone resin. It is compact in size; A6 size equivalent to 96 microwell plate for cell culture, and has also makes direct culture condition management in each cell possible.

Design Background

State management for cultured cell in medical care and new drug development is understood extremely important. State of cell group in its entirety inside cultivation container has to be understood when stem cells including iPS cell; induced pluripotent stem cell, are induced for differentiation towards target cell or maintain undifferentiated state in regenerative medicine. In new drug development and biomedical fields, conditions of cultured cells have to be consistent to enable highly precise and efficient screening.

For cell quality management, microscopic morphological evaluation, spectrometry, turbidimetry or monitoring of medium color change by cell culture technician have been typically used. However, these traditional methods require cell sample transfer leading to impurities contamination. And, relying on technician's skill opens up various issues including cell contamination by human error, quality inhomogeneity and et al.

The new optical measuring unit can offer a solution for those issues and enables cell management as follows;

Features & Benefits

·       Continuous real-time monitoring capability without moving medium or cell out of an incubator

·       Portable compact in size (A6)

·       Simultaneous monitoring of all individual wells of 96 cell culture microwell plate

·       Use of space filter as infrastructure component due to high signal-to-noise ratio benefiting from SOT (Silicone Optical Technology) technology

·       Measurable without changing cultivation environment while minimizing medium contamination and infection risk, because cultivation container transport and opening/closing of lid are not required

·       Applicable to various research and industry involving cell culture, not only for regenerative medicine

SOT Technology or Silicone Optical Technology

SOT, whose optical system is shaped by silicone, enables compact, low cost and extremely high stray light removal rate, which had been jointly researched and developed by Kyusyu University and Ushio Inc. The optical module based on SOT shows superior optical characteristics including high permeability and low double refraction within the range of ultraviolet light and visible light wavelength range. Also, this optical module is far superior in less auto-fluorescent, high heat resistance, great chemical resistance and weather resistance, and it enables high performing compact unit compared to traditional optical system using glass.

For more information, please contact us at customerservice@ushio.com or call us at (800) 838-7446

About Ushio America, Inc.

Ushio America, Inc. is a vertically integrated solutions company for lighting systems and components utilizing  xenon short arc, lasers, ultra-high-pressure UV, excimer, metal halide, LEDs (specialty sensing and architectural lighting), halogen, fluorescent, and miniature incandescent lamps serving semiconductor, printed circuit, video projection, cinema, medical, life sciences, UV curing, germicidal, horticulture, landscaping, graphic arts, flashlight, scientific, medical, infra-red heating, lamp and laser drivers, systems and services, and numerous other applications. Established in 1967 as a subsidiary of Ushio Inc., in Tokyo, Japan, Ushio America offers a full spectrum of over 2,500 products and services to its customers. For more information, visit www.ushio.com.