The cell counting algorithm uses technology to determine area covered and finds the center of the individual areas. Millicell DCI can also accurately count cells that do not have a nucleus, such as red blood cells, because it is not necessarily looking for a nucleus but rather the center of an individual spot.
For suspension cell lines, the cells need to fully settle onto the surface of the plate or be held in place, such as on a hemocytometer glass slide, before the Millicell DCI can make an accurate cell count. The cell counting feature does not currently determine cell viability.
The Millicell DCI can be used for cell monitoring and measuring cell confluency in any vessel that fits under the light source arm, including 6-well or 96-well plates. The LED light source is 2.2 inches away from the stage. The digital cell imager can also image in any vessel that fits under the light source arm but can only image a portion of a single well within a 96-well plate.