Protocol from Microbiology has a colony detection system that combines LED illumination and digital-colour camera control.
Protocol comes as standard with a built-in computer to minimise the foot print.
Computer specifications are updated as new processors and other advanced components become available.
Protocol is available in two different models, Protocol SR (standard resolution) or Protocol HR (high resolution).
Both systems feature a 19in flat-screen monitor, keyboard and mouse.
Protocol SR software provides accurate analysis and enumeration of bacterial plates.
The system can compensate for writing on plates, variations in agar thickness, touching colonies, meniscus effects, spreaders, bubbles, debris, different-sized colonies and different-coloured media.
Measuring applications include enumeration of pour, spread and spiral plates, multi well-plate analysis and inhibition-zone measurement.
Typical measuring time is one second/plate.
For standard 90mm Petri dishes, the smallest detectable colony is >0.2mm.
Higher magnifications are available with an external camera.
Software allows user to automatically set up serial dilution.
A series is established and read with the mean count automatically calculated and reported.
Users are also given detailed colony size statistics.
Instant size distribution histograms and tables provide immediate comparisons between plate populations and can be used to highlight colonies of specific sizes.
Users can easily create their own size class intervals and store them for reuse.
Protocol software also allows users to draw exclude regions, exclude problem areas on a plate and separate touching colonies.
Protocol prevents transcription errors, as results are instantly transferred to a results table in a secured database.
Different levels of users are governed by password control, ensuring compliance with quality procedures and GLP.
Users wishing to reread previously analysed samples using automatic or manual methods can automatically store a copy of the original and new results.
Users can configure Protocol to request a 'reason for change' free text comment, which is recorded with the data in a comments field.
Users can choose to save true-colour sample images for archive purposes; these images can be printed out directly from Protocol software.
One button-click automatically transfers results to an Excel spreadsheet.
Protocol HR employs all the features and benefits of the standard Protocol system with the added benefit of a high-resolution camera.
The HR version has four times the resolution of Protocol SR.
For standard 90mm Petri dishes, the smallest detectable colony is >0.1mm.
Higher magnifications are available with an external camera.
Protocol HR is ideal for applications where the enumeration of micro colonies and/or fine measurement of inhibition zones are required.
Typical applications for Protocol HR include enumeration of water-filtration samples, samples where typical colony sizes are less than 100 microns and automated inhibition-zone measuring (disk diffusion or drop method).
