Bio-Rad TC20 Automated Cell Counter User Manual

TC20™ Automated Cell Counter

Instruction Manual

Catalog #145-0101

Copyright ©2011 Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Reproduction in any form, either print or electronic, is prohibited
without written permission of Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Excel is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

TC20™ Automated
Cell Counter

Instruction Manual

Bio-Rad Laboratories Resources

Table 1 lists Bio-Rad resources and how to locate what you need.

Table 1. Bio-Rad resources.

Resource How to Contact

Local Bio-Rad Laboratories Find information and contacts on the Bio-Rad Laboratories
representatives website by selecting your country on the Home page
(www.bio-rad.com). Find the nearest international of fice listed on
the back of this manual

Technical notes and literature Go to the Bio-Rad Laboratories website (w ww.bio-rad.com).
Type a term in the Se arch box and select Documents to find links
to literature

Technical specialists Bio-Rad Laboratories Technical Support scientists provide our
customers with practical and expert solutions. To find local
Technical Support on the phone, contact your nearest Bio-Rad
Laboratories office. For Technical Support in the United States
and Canada, call 1-800-424-6723 (toll-free phone), and select the
Technical Support option

Warranty

The TC20™ automated cell counter and associated accessories are covered by a standard
Bio-Rad warrant y. Contact your local Bio-Rad Laboratories office for the details of the warranty.

Safety Use Specifications and Compliance

A Warning! label in this manual warns you about sources of injury or harm, including risk of
electrical shock.

Warning! Do not attempt to repair or remove the outer case of the TC20 automated cell counter
or other accessories. If you open this instrument, you put yourself at risk for harm to body or equipment
from electrical shock.

This instrument has been tested and found to be in compliance with all applicable requirements
of the following safet y and electromagnetic standards.

Table 2. E nviro nmental con ditions for s afe operation of the TC20 automated cell c ounter.

Transient category Installation categories II

Operating power 90–240 VAC, 1.2 A

Frequency 50/60 Hz

Electrical input 12 VDC, 2.5 A

Installation site Indoor use only

Operating temperature 10–35°C

Maximum relative humidity 20–80%

Altitude <2,400 m

Pollution degree 2

Degree of protection IPX0

Note: Do not store or operate the unit near a sink as contact with water could cause electric shock.

Unit is he avy, do not store or operate it at the edge of a laboratory bench. During ope ration unit
must be in upright position.

Do not tip the unit over if the counting slide is inserted in the slide port; this could cause accidental
spillage of sample and contaminate the unit.

Use only Bio-Rad counting slides, using other manufacturers´ slides could damage the unit.

TC20 cell counter is factory calibrated, no further calibration is needed.

ii

Safety Compliance

This instrument has been tested and found to be in compliance with all applicable requirements of the
following safety and electromagnetic standards:

• EN61010-1 — Electrical Equipment for Measurement, Control, and Laboratory Use

• UL Std No. 61010A-1 — Electrical Equipment for Measurement, Control, and Laboratory Use, Part

1: General Requirements

• UL Std No. 61010A-2-010 — Electrical Equipment for Measurement, Control, and Laboratory Use,
Part 1: General Requirements

• CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 1010.1-92 — Safety Requirements for Electrical Equipment for Measurement,
Control, and Laboratory Use, Part 1: General Requirements (includes Amendme nt 1)

• CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 1010.1B-97 Amendment 2 CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 1010.1-92 — Safety
Requirements for Electrical Equipment for Measurement, Control, and Laboratory Use, Part 1:
General Requirements

• IEC 61010-1 — Safety Requirements for Electrical Equipment for Measurement, Control, and
Laboratory Use, Part 1 General Requirements

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)

• F.C.C. Title 47 Part 15B as a Class A digital device

• EN61326 Class A Electrical Equipment for measurement, control, and laborator y use —

General Requirements

FCC Warning and Notes

• Warning: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment

• Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital
device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial
environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to
radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful
interference, in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense

• Note regarding FCC compliance: Although this design of instrument has been tested and found
to comply with Part 15, Subpart B, of the FCC Rules for a Class A digital device, please note that
this compliance is voluntary, for the instrument qualifies as an “exempted device” under 47 CFR

15.103(c), in regard to the cited FCC regulations in effect at the time of manufacture

• Note regarding Canadian EMC compliance: Le present appareil numerique n’emet pas de bruits
radioelectrique depassant les limites applicables aux appareils numeriques de classe A prescrites
dans le reglement sur le brouillage radioelectrique edicte par le Ministere des Communications
du Canada

This Bio-Rad instrument is designed and cer tified to meet EN61010* and the EMC requireme nts
of EN61326 (for Class A) safety standards. Certified products are safe to use when operated in
accordance with the instruction manual. This instrument should not be modif ied or altered in any way.
Alteration of this instrument will cause the following results:

• Void the manufacturer’s warranty

• Void the EN61010 safety certification

• Create a potential safety hazard

* EN61010 is an internationally accepted electrical safety standard for laboratory instruments.

iii

Bio-Rad Laboratories is not responsible for any injury or damage c aused by the use of this instrument
for purposes other than those for which it is intended, or by modifications of the instrument not
performed by Bio-Rad Laboratories or an authorized agent.

We strongly recomme nd that you follow the safety specifications listed in this section and throughout
this manual. Use only the supplied power cord in the instrument, making sure to choose the plug
adaptor that corresponds to the electrical outlets in your region.

iv

Table of Contents

Bio-Rad Laboratories Resources ............................................................................ii

Warranty .................................................................................................................ii

Safety Use Specifications and Compliance............................................................iii

Chapter 1 — Introduction ................................................................................... 1

Instrument Overview ......................................................................................... 2

User Interface .................................................................................................... 3

TC20™ Automated Cell Counter Specifications .................................................4

Kits, Reagents, and Accessories....................................................................... 4

Chapter 2 — Setting Up the TC20 Automated Cell Counter ............................ 7

System Components.........................................................................................8

Unpacking the System Components................................................................. 8

Setting the Date and Time................................................................................. 8

Setting up Gating .............................................................................................. 9

Setting up Automatic Data Export and Sample Naming ................................. 10

Chapter 3 — Performing Cell Counts .............................................................. 11

Loading Slides ................................................................................................. 12

Preparing Samples .......................................................................................... 12

Preparing Samples without Trypan Blue Dye ............................................. 12

Preparing Samples with Trypan Blue Dye .................................................. 12

Counting Cells on the TC20 Automated Cell Counter ..................................... 13

Counting Samples with Multiple Cell Populations ........................................... 14

Sample Naming............................................................................................... 14

Current Count Options .................................................................................... 15

Using the Dilution Calculator ...................................................................... 15

Printing the Current Cell Count .................................................................. 16

Viewing the Image of Cells from the Current Count ................................... 16

Exporting the Image of Cells from the Current Count ................................ 16

Viewing the Histogram and Gating from the Current Count ....................... 17

Chapter 4 — Saved Count Results ................................................................... 19

Viewing Previous Counts ................................................................................. 20

Printing Previous Counts ................................................................................. 20

Exporting Previous Counts .............................................................................. 20

Automatic Image Export.................................................................................. 21

Deleting All Counts .......................................................................................... 22

Chapter 5 — Maintenance and Troubleshooting ............................................ 23

Performing the TC20 System Verification Test ................................................ 24

Cleaning the TC20 Automated Cell Counter.................................................... 25

Thermal Printer Maintenance ..................................................................... 25

Updating the Firmware .................................................................................... 26

Battery ............................................................................................................ 26

Troubleshooting ............................................................................................... 27

Ordering Information ......................................................................................... 28

v

1

Chapter 1 — Introduction

Introduction

Introduction

The Bio-Rad TC20™ automated cell counter is a benchtop instrument that counts
mammalian cells in one simple step, initiating auto-counts immediately upon slide
insertion. The innovative autofocus technology and sophisticated digital image
analysis algorithm produce accurate cell counts for most samples in less than
30 seconds. The TC20 cell counter rapidly provides a total cell count with or without
trypan blue staining and assesses cell viability via trypan blue exclusion. Getting all
the data you need about your cell cultures is fast and easy; the TC20 cell counter and
disposable counting slides eliminate the need for tedious setup, cleaning, or maintenance.

The TC20 cell counter provides accurate and reproducible cell counts for suspended
cells that have been grown as adherent or suspension cells at concentrations within the

4

5 × 10

to 1 × 107 cells/ml range and for cells within the 6 –50 μm cell diameter range.
Only 10 μl of cell suspension is required for the cell count. The cell counter detects the
presence of trypan blue in the sample with no user input required and automatically
accounts for the 1:1 (trypan blue:cells) dilution factor. The TC20 cell counter can count
single or mixed cell population samples. For samples with multiple cell populations the
user can define the cell population of interest by adjusting the position of cell size gates.

An image of the counted cells can be viewed onscreen and downloaded onto a USB
flash drive immediately after the count. The TC20 cell counter can store results from
100 counts. Count results can be exported onto a USB flash drive and viewed in
Microsoft Excel. Each sample can be given a unique name and if the data autosave
function is enabled, the JPEG image from the current count is automatically saved onto
the inserted USB flash drive. Each image contains a metatag with the cell count data
and can be further analyzed using the TC20 Data Analyzer downloadable from
www.bio-rad.com/tc20.

The TC20 cell counter has a dilution calculator to derive cell resuspension volumes
required to achieve the cell concentration needed for the next experiment. A histogram
of cell diameter distribution in the sample can be viewed after the cell count.

Instrument Overview

The front panel of the TC20 automated cell counter (Figure 1) includes:

• User interface — a color digital screen and four keys for navigating the

software

• Slide port — used to insert the cell counting slide

The side (right) panel of the TC10 automated cell counter (Figure 1) includes:

• USB port A (top port) — for connecting thermal printer or USB flash drive

• USB port B (bottom port) — for connecting thermal printer; the USB port B

cannot be used for the USB flash drive

• Power switch — for turning the instrument on and off

The rear panel of the TC20 automated cell counter includes:

• Power inlet — used to connect the cell counter to an electrical outlet via the

supplied power cord (select the appropriate plug adaptor for your region)

2

Introduction

LCD screen

Keys for navigation

Slide port

Fig. 1. TC20 cell counter.

USB ports A and B
Power switch

User Interface

The user interface contains a color LCD
screen and the four navigation keys
listed below:

• Home — for accessing the

Home screen or for exiting
any screen

• Up and down arrow keys —

for moving to the desired
setting within a screen

• Enter — for confirming a

selection

Home Screen

Fig. 2. Home screen.

The Home screen can be accessed from any screen by pressing Home. This screen
(Figure 2) provides access to the following choices:

Count cells — initiates a cell count. When this option is selected, the instrument will
automatically start counting if a slide is already inserted.
If there is no slide in the instrument, the Insert slide screen will be displayed

Current count — for returning to the current count screen

Gating setup — for setting up histogram gating parameters

Previous counts — for viewing results from up to 100 previous counts stored in the

instrument; results are organized by date/time stamps, with the most recent count
shown first

Expor t data — for exporting results and image from the most recent count from the
instrument onto a USB flash drive

3

Introduction

Options — for selecting additional operations

Options Screen

The Options screen (Figure 3) contains
the following choices:

Autosave/sample name — for setting
up the automatic export of cell images
to a USB flash drive and for setting up
sample naming preferences

System test — for verifying the
performance of the instrument;
a verification slide is needed for
this function

Set date/time — for setting the date

Fig. 3. Options screen.

and time on the instrument, results are
associated with date/time stamps

Update firmware — for upgrading the firmware

Delete all counts — for deleting all counts stored in the instrument

TC20 Automated Cell Counter Specifications

Processing time: 30 sec (may increase for higher concentration cell suspensions)

Cell concentration range: 5 × 10

Optimal concentration range: 1 x 10

Cell diameter range: 6 –50 µm

Dimensions (W x D x H): 19 × 15 × 25.4 cm

Weight: 2.2 kg

4

–1 × 107 cells/ml

5

–5 x 106 cells/ml

Kits, Reagents, and Accessories

TC20 kits, reagents, and accessories are specially designed for use with the
TC20 automated cell counter. These products are optimized to ensure accurate and
reproducible cell counts.

Counting Slides

The counting slide (Figure 4) is a disposable polygon plastic slide with a dual chamber
composed of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Each slide is 75 × 25 × 1.8 mm (W x D x
H) with a chamber depth of 100 μm. Each enclosed chamber requires only 10 μl of
suspended cells. The volume counted in each chamber is 0.4 µl, equivalent to the
volume counted in four squares (each 1 × 1 mm) of a manual hemocytometer.

The slide can provide counts for two dif ferent samples or duplicates of the same sample,
one at a time. The chambers are labeled A and B, with an arrow next to each chamber
to indicate the direction of slide insertion. Both slide chambers can be loaded prior to
insertion in the TC20 cell counter for sequential counting.

4