Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

Beckman Coulter, Inc. (NYSE:BEC) announced today the first orders for the company's new Vi-CELL(TM) cell viability analyzer have been shipped. The Vi-CELL automates the widely accepted trypan blue dye exclusion method for monitoring cell viability and can also be used for production control during the manufacturing stage of the biotech industry's rapidly expanding recombinant DNA process for the production of bio-active molecules.

Designed around a novel flow cell that ensures all cellular material being analyzed is always in focus, the Vi-CELL captures numerous images of the cellular population with its high resolution CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera. The images are analyzed using a propriety algorithm for continuous tone (Grey-scale). Non-viable (dead) cells absorb the trypan blue stain as a consequence of their cellular membranes losing integrity. As a result, they become darker in color in relation to the viable cells present. It is this difference in color (tone) that is measured using the Vi-CELL.

"The Vi-CELL is the first of a series of instruments that will utilize image based technologies to address specific identified application opportunities for cellular research," said Ian Ley, particle characterization strategic marketing manager for Beckman Coulter. "As the world's leading provider of cellular solutions, these novel technologies allow us to further enhance our presence in the life sciences market and address specific elements of the newly emerging cellular based drug discovery, particularly in the proteomics sector."

Beckman Coulter's Vi-CELL offers numerous advantages over the current manual method. For instance, a typical analysis using the Vi-CELL system will measure thousands of cells, ensuring a high degree of accuracy and reproducibility. The manual hemocytometer method, by comparison, typically measures less than one hundred cells and is very subjective. The Vi-CELL software featuring electronic signature capability, will aid with 21 CFR Part 11 compliance and is available with a full equipment qualification system (IQ,OQ,PQ) to address validation issues.

In addition to viability, the Vi-CELL reports parameters including size, circularity (shape), cell count, viable cells within a population, and total and viable cells per milliliter. A major feature in the software is the bio-processing tracking option, which allows for complete tracking of a bio-process (fermentation) over time, reporting such parameters as doubling time and growth rates. For maximum throughput, the system can be configured with a 12-position continuous feeding auto-sampler. Vi-Cell adheres to Standard Operating Methods, ensuring the benefit of standardization, while offering the maximum flexibility for users monitoring multiple cell lines.

Beckman Coulter, Inc. is a global biomedical company, headquartered in Fullerton, California. The company develops and markets instruments, chemistries, software and supplies that simplify and automate laboratory processes throughout the biomedical testing continuum. Through pioneering medical research and drug discovery, specialty testing, and patient care diagnostics, Beckman Coulter supports all phases of the battle against disease. Annual sales for the company totaled $2 billion in 2001, with 62% of this amount generated by recurring revenue from supplies, test kits and services. For more information, visit www.beckmancoulter.com.