Chip-Man Technologies LTD

ChemImage presented the results of an ingredient-specific particle sizing (ISPS) study on a combination Metered Dose Inhaler product at Respiratory Drug Delivery (RDD) 2010. Results from a wide-field Raman Chemical Imaging study of drug particle size distribution of two active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in a Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI) were discussed. This study is meant to provide drug developers with guidance on how they can utilise a new analytical method to characterise an inhalation product with more than one active pharmaceutical ingredient,” said Dr. Ryan Priore, Director of Applications and Contract Services. “This has historically been very difficult and time consuming with current methods such as cascade
impaction and HPLC. Raman Chemical Imaging can provide a more efficient and accurate alternative for these combinations.

Chip-Man Technologies has announced the launch of the Cell-IQ 2 live cell imaging and analysis system. This platform builds on the
success of the original Cell-IQ system, offering fully automated imaging and analysis for the study of live cell behaviour in an optimised and stable environment. The Cell-IQ platform allows accurate and reproducible quantitation of results for live cell imaging, and has already proven highly successful in a range of laboratory settings. The second generation system provides increased usability and precision for users, offering advanced features for cell biology, functional genomics, drug discovery, in vitro fertilisation, in vitro toxicology and regenerative medicine applications. Chip-Man Technologies CEO,
Jane Spencer-Fry, explained: “Cell-IQ 2 offers
our customers more flexibility, greater ease of use and increased analysis power. The system’s intuitive user interface has also been updated, with the addition of the new Analyser Pro-Write software for greater functionality.”

Customers in France and other French-speaking territories can now obtain Chip-Man Technologies’ innovative Cell-IQ live cell imaging and analysis platform through AdGenix. AdGenix is an independent distributor with 15 years of experience supplying the life science and health sectors, and immediately recognised
the potential of the Cell-IQ system. Neil Metters, General Manager for AdGenix, explained: “As well as supplying general laboratory equipment, we have a special interest in image analysis. The Cell-IQ system is by far the most sophisticated and comprehensive tool for live cell imaging on the market, and so we were keen to offer this product to our customers. We have only just added the Cell-IQ platform to our portfolio, but customers are already excited about what this powerful system can offer, across a wide range of applications.”

Chip-Man Technologies’ innovative Cell-IQ live cell imaging and analysis platform is now available to academic and industrial research laboratories in Switzerland through LabForce AG, supplier of cell and molecular biology reagents and instruments. Chip-Man Technologies’ unique system is a powerful tool for researchers wishing to study cell lines, primary cell, co-cultures and monolayer tissue models. The Cell-IQ system allows scientists to study live cell behaviour in an optimised and stable environment and automatically analyses the findings, supporting the research efforts of scientists in areas such as cell biology,  functional genomics, drug discovery, in vitro fertilisation, in vitro toxicology and regenerative medicine. The Cell-IQ is accompanied by easy-to-use software, and is capable of many different investigations, such as the continuous observation of cells and automated recognition of dead and live cells.

The Karolinska Institute’s Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology is using Chip-Man Technologies’ Cell-IQ live cell imaging and analysis platform to investigate mechanisms of infertility and oocyte maturation, as well as for development and characterisation of human embryonic stem cell lines. Professor Outi Hovatta explained: “The Cell-IQ system offers real advantages for this work, allowing accurate quantitation of results and significantly improving the quality of our data. This has allowed us to reproducibly perform experiments without extensive user
intervention and without having to repeat tedious calculations. The system can recognise a wide range of cell types and processes, and has allowed us to make some exciting discoveries, identifying a lot of previously unknown aspects
of cellular behaviour, as well as the origin of some differentiated cell.”

Aura Capital Oy and government-owned investment company Finnish Industry Investment have made a follow-on investment
amounting to EUR 400,000 in Chip-Man Technologies, a company that develops live cell analysis systems. Today’s companies
increasingly use cell-based testing and more complex cell models in developing pharmaceuticals as they seek to predict the behaviour of medicines in patients and human cells. The products that Chip-Man develops enable researchers to obtain results that would not be possible using conventional methods. Cell-based tests could also reduce the need for animal testing. The company’s Cell-IQ is a modular product based on machine vision. The modules can be combined to give the customer a tailored product. Chip-Man’s customers are mainly pharmaceuticals development companies and research institutes.