Your lab shares one expensive live cell imaging system. Every researcher deserves their own. zenCELL owl sits inside your incubator, images 24 wells simultaneously, and costs less than a stage top incubator alone.
These are not theoretical problems. They are the everyday reality in labs that share one expensive live cell imaging microscope between 10–20 researchers.
One system, twenty researchers. You plan your experiment around the microscope slot — not around the biology. Cells that reach confluence on Tuesday get imaged on Thursday because that was the first available booking.
The live cell imaging microscope is in a separate room — often a core facility on another floor. Every transfer from cell culture lab to imaging room is a contamination opportunity.
A complete live cell imaging system costs €50,000–100,000+. Most labs buy one and share it. At €14,000, zenCELL owl can be bought in multiples — one per researcher, one per project, one per incubator.
Large stage incubation chambers with complex geometry are hard to fully sterilize. Every shared user introduces a contamination vector. Decontamination protocols are time-consuming and rarely complete.
| Criterion | zenCELL owl | Stage Top Incubator + Microscope |
|---|---|---|
| Complete system price | €14,000 | €30,000–100,000+ |
| Location | Inside your existing incubator | Core facility / separate room |
| Cell transport required | No — cells never leave incubator | Yes — contamination risk |
| Wells imaged simultaneously | Up to 24 simultaneously | 1 position at a time |
| Access / booking | Dedicated — always available | Shared — booking queue |
| Temperature stability | Constant 37°C — incubator door stays closed | Controlled but disturbed on opening |
| CO₂ control | Full incubator CO₂ — 5% constant | Local chamber — requires optimization |
| Sterilization | Standard incubator wipe-down | Complex large chamber geometry |
| Setup | Plug & Play — USB-C | Specialist required |
| Scalability | One device per researcher | One system per lab |
| Annual fees | €0 — software included | Service contracts + software licences |
| Brightfield live cell imaging | Yes — brightfield, up to 24 channels | Yes — high-resolution widefield |
| High-resolution fluorescence | Brightfield only — fluorescence scope needed for fluorescent cells | Yes — full fluorescence capability |
Free 30-minute remote demo via MS Teams — twice per week.
Real cells, real incubator, your questions answered live.
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Watch zenCELL owl image live inside an incubator. Available.