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Overview
The Countess®II (Cat. no. AMQAX1000) is an automated benchtop cell counter that
performs cell count and viability measurements of trypan blue stained samples that are
loaded into plastic, disposable Countess®Cell Counting Chamber Slides.
The Countess®II FL (Cat. no. AMQAF1000) is a fully automated cell counter that uses EVOS®
light cube technology to analyze fluorescently labeled cells or trypan blue stained samples.
Cells can be counted from either plastic, disposable Countess®Cell Counting Chamber
Slides or from glass Countess®II FL Reusable Chamber Slides.
Note: The Countess®II and Countess®II FL User Guide is provided on the USB flash drive. You
can also download the user guide from the Countess®Automated Cell Counter product page at
www.lifetechnologies.com/countess.
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USB
port Slide
port
Slide
carrier
7” capacitive
touchscreen
Setup
1. Unpack the Countess®II instrument and place it on a flat, level, dry surface.
2. Ensure that the power switch located onthe back of the instrument is in the OFF
position, and then plug the power cord into the instrument.
3. Plug the power cord into the electrical outlet.
4. Turn on the instrument by flipping the power switch to the ON position.
5. Once the Home page is displayed, the instrument is ready to use.
Note: To get the best performance from the Countess®II and Countess®II FL Automated Cell
Counters, check for software updates at www.lifetechnologies.com/countess.
Basic operation
Note: For detailed information such as advanced operations (i.e., fluorescence counting, setting
light levels, adjusting counting algorithm, etc.), refer to the user guide.
1. Prepare sample by adding 10 µL of your cell suspension to 10 µL of 0.4% trypan blue stain.
2. Load 10 µL of the sample mixture per chamber into the Countess®Cell Counting
Chamber Slide.
3. Insert the slide, sample side first, into the slide port until you hear a soft click.
Note: The Countess®II Automated Cell Counter comes with the holder for disposable plastic
chamber slides pre‑installed. The plastic slides are directly inserted into the slide holder,
which cannot be removed.
4. The instrument automatically illuminates the sample and focuses the cells.
5. To enable the auto focus to function properly, manually focus the cells using the Focus
slider and press Set to set the optimal focus.
Note: The auto focus algorithm is designed to highlight the differences between live and dead
cells. Therefore, the optimal focus level is slightly “under” focus (see examples on page4).
Optimally focused “live” cells have a light colored center, whereas “dead” cells are dark
throughout.
Power
EVOS®
Power
Slide
Light cube
tool
USB
port
6. Set exposure using the Light source slider, and press Capture. The instrument captures
the image and displays the results (total concentration, percentage and concentration of
live and dead cells).
7. To count the sample in the second chamber, remove and turn around the slide, and
reinsert it sample side first into the instrument.
Changing the slide holder
Note: For Countess®II FL (AMQAF100) only.
1. Grasp both sides of the holder for disposable chamber slides and gently squeeze while
pulling it out of the instrument.
2. Unlatch the back panel of the instrument and remove the holder for reusable glass slides.
3. Place the holder for disposable slides in the back panel for storage and secure the back
panel to the instrument.
4. Place the glass Countess®II FL Reusable Chamber Slide into the holder, sample side
over the hole in the slide holder.
5. Insert the holder with the reusable glass slide into the instrument until you hear a click.
6. To remove, push the slide holder inward to release it, and then pull the holder the
remainder of the way out.
Focus is not optimal Focus is optimal
The back panel of the Countess®II FL Automated Cell Counter allows access to the optional
EVOS®light cubes and provides storage for the light cube tool and the slide carrier. The
back panel is secured to the instrument by two captive ¼-turn fasteners.
The back panel of the Countess®II Automated Cell Counter is fixed to the instrument and
cannot be opened.
