Roche launches new xCELLigence System RTCA HT Instrument

The new xCELLigence System RTCA HT Instrument from Roche Diagnostics (SIX:RO)(SIX:ROG)(OTCQX:RHHBY) rounds out the company's portfolio in real-time cell analysis with a high-throughput product. The new instrument merges the power and flexibility of xCELLigence System technology with high-throughput analyses and workflows for automated screening applications. The system allows researchers to run 1 to 4 plates independently on up to four RTCA HT stations, thus reading 4 x384 well plates in parallel. Integration with automated plate and liquid handling systems is also an option. The instrument was launched worldwide and will be available in all markets during the next months.

“The new RTCA HT Instrument has the potential to become the benchmark system in real-time label-free, automated HTS and automated long-term cytotoxicity screening”

The cell-based xCELLigence System assays perfectly integrate micro electronics and cell biology, offering a number of advantages over conventional cell analysis systems. The system is suitable for uninterrupted monitoring of real-time kinetics and processes in living cells and supplies a densely concentrated stream of information. Sensitivity and reproducibility are excellent for monitoring the overall cell population of a cell culture.

"The new RTCA HT Instrument has the potential to become the benchmark system in real-time label-free, automated HTS and automated long-term cytotoxicity screening," says Ruedi Stoffel, Life Cycle Leader for Cellular Analysis at Roche Diagnostics.

The heart of the system is a microelectronic biosensor built into each well of the E-Plate microtiter plates. A cell in contact with the sensor changes the electrical impedance between the microelectrodes. Each change in the cell's status, e.g., changes in cell adhesion, cytotoxicity, cell proliferation, cell-to-cell interactions and morphological changes lead to changes in the impedance measurements and can therefore be easily and quickly detected in real-time. In combination with the RTCA DP Instrument and CIM-Plate 16, the xCELLigence System product line also allows cancer researchers to conduct direct studies of cell migration and invasion, eliminating the need for labeling cells, a process that can induce non-physiological changes in the cells.