No more time-consuming
counting by hand
Unique assist mode automatically identifies colonies of the same type and makes it
possible to conduct a colony count with just a few clicks by Funke Dr N. Gerber Labortechnik
Regular colony counts are part
of the day-to-day tasks of many
laboratories in order to rule out
the contamination of products
with bacteria, viruses, yeasts, or molds
during production. To do this, Petri dishes
containing the relevant samples are evaluated
in order to determine the number of
colonies formed. While the classic manual
counting method means that every single
colony has to be marked individually,
automatic devices can analyze numerous
Petri dishes of the same type very quickly.
However, this requires time-consuming
programming and preparation that
may not be feasible if there is a small
number of samples amounting to just a
few Petri dishes a day. As of June 2021,
help is at hand in the form of the ColonyStar
automatic from Funke-Gerber. The
device, which is equipped with a camera
and a cordless, detachable tablet, makes
the analysis of Petri dishes both fast and
straightforward. The unique assist mode
is particularly helpful: After tapping on a
colony via touchscreen, other colonies of
the same type are automatically recorded,
marked, and counted. The selection
can be corrected at any time. In this way,
the lab worker retains full control while
also achieving huge time savings.
In hygiene management and quality
control, the total bacterial
count is one of the most
important parameters.
It states how
many micro-organisms
are contained
within a
sample. Depending
on the type of micro-organism, there
are limits that may not be exceeded in
order to protect consumers from diseases
such as food poisoning. As a result,
samples are routinely cultured on Petri
dishes in order to be able to determine
the micro-organism concentration after
a certain period via a colony count. Older
devices in particular, however, that
required the counting of every colony
individually using a light table and microscope,
made this task a time-consuming
ordeal. “A Petri dish like this, if it is processed
at the right dilution, has between
150 and 200 colonies,” explains Konrad
Schäfer, CEO of Funke-Dr. N. Gerber
Labortechnik GmbH. “If they have to be
counted manually, the person counting
has to maintain their concentration and
mark each colony individually. A routine
task can quickly become a time-consuming
endeavor.” The previous method
for colony counting also does not
allow for the markings to be changed,
which increases the risk of some colonies
being counted twice. Automatic devices
are more reliable but they are generally
designed to handle larger batches and
require a certain amount of effort to be
invested beforehand. “As a result of their
complexity, such systems are a major
financial investment. On the other hand,
time-consuming preparations are neces-
“A Petri dish like this, if it is processed at the right dilution, has
between 150 and 200 colonies,” explains Konrad Schäfer, CEO
of Funke-Dr. N. Gerber Labortechnik GmbH. “If they have to be
counted manually, the person counting has to maintain their
concentration and mark each colony individually. A routine
task can quickly become a time-consuming endeavor.”
(Foto: Funke-Dr. N. Gerber Labortechnik GmbH)
PR 13