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zenCELL owl SCAN — High-Content Live Cell Imaging from €10,000 Stage add-on

🔬 High-Content Live Cell Imaging System

zenCELL owl SCAN — 96 & 384 Well.
Whole-Well Stitching. Spheroid Monitoring.

Automated motorized XY+Z stage. Continuous live cell imaging inside your incubator. Add-on from €10,000 — a fraction of Incucyte or Operetta CLS costs.

96/384Well plates
24 imgin 20 seconds
4mmZ-range · Autofocus
USB-CSingle cable setup
zenCELL owl SCAN – motorized XY+Z stage for 96-well and 384-well live cell imaging
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Made in Germany 96 & 384 Well 4mm Z-range · Autofocus Whole-well stitching Open API – Hamilton, Beckman Add-on for existing zenCELL owl
What is zenCELL owl SCAN?

High-Content Imaging. Incubator-Based. At a Fraction of the Cost.

The zenCELL owl SCAN adds a precision motorized XY+Z stage to the proven zenCELL owl live cell imager. The result: automated scanning of entire 96- or 384-well plates — directly inside your incubator, continuously, over days and weeks.

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Add-on for existing zenCELL owl

Already have a zenCELL owl? The SCAN stage connects via a single USB-C cable — plug & play. Your existing system becomes a full high-content imager with no additional infrastructure.

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Autofocus — Like a Smartphone Camera

Autofocus works automatically — just like a modern smartphone camera. The motorized stage provides precise plate positioning for full reproducibility. The system automatically focuses within a 2mm range. Stage retains its last position after shutdown — no recalibration needed on restart.

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Open API & Automation Ready

Native integration with Hamilton, Beckman Coulter, and all major automation platforms. Automated plate change after scan possible. ImageJ/FIJI compatibility included free.

Speed & Coverage

A Full 96-Well Plate Scanned in Under 90 Seconds

24 images in 20 seconds — a full 96-well plate (96 images) in under 90 seconds, a full 384-well plate in under 6 minutes. Adjustable to your application. No comparable system at this price point delivers this throughput inside an incubator.

<90s
96-Well Plate — Complete

All 96 wells imaged and analysed. 24 images per 20 seconds — 96 images in under 90 seconds total. Continuously repeatable for time-lapse over hours, days, or weeks.

<6 min
384-Well Plate — Complete

4× the wells, still significantly faster and more cost-effective than competing high-content systems costing €50,000–200,000.

6
6-Well Plate
Well Ø: 35 mm
Area: 962 mm²
~990 images/well
~5,940 total
Full plate scan
24
24-Well Plate
Well Ø: 16 mm
Area: 201 mm²
~207 images/well
~4,968 total
Full plate scan
96
96-Well Plate
Well Ø: 6.6 mm
Area: 34 mm²
~36 images/well
<90 seconds total
Standard config
384
384-Well Plate
Well Ø: 3.5 mm
Area: 9.6 mm²
~10 images/well
<6 minutes total
Standard config

Field of view: 1.08 mm² per image · Z-travel: 4 mm (software-controlled autofocus) · Position memory: Stage retains last position after shutdown · Suitable for: Standard well plates, spheroids, organoids

Pricing

Choose Your Configuration

Two hardware configurations — both at a fraction of comparable high-content imaging systems costing €50,000–200,000.

96-Well Configuration

owl SCAN 96

€24,000
zenCELL owl €14,000 + Stage from €10,000
  • ✓ 96-well plate support
  • ✓ Full plate scan in <90 seconds
  • ✓ 4mm Z-travel · software autofocus
  • ✓ Whole-well stitching
  • ✓ USB-C single cable setup
  • ✓ Open API · Hamilton · Beckman
  • ✓ Automated plate change option
  • ✓ Add-on for existing zenCELL owl
Request Quote →
384-Well Configuration

owl SCAN 384

€29,000
zenCELL owl €14,000 + Stage €15,000
  • ✓ 384-well plate support
  • ✓ Full plate scan in <6 minutes
  • ✓ 4mm Z-travel · software autofocus
  • ✓ Whole-well stitching
  • ✓ USB-C single cable setup
  • ✓ Open API · Hamilton · Beckman
  • ✓ Automated plate change option
  • ✓ Enhanced software for 384-well
Request Quote →
Existing owl owners

Stage Upgrade

from €10,000
Stage only · plug & play for existing owl
  • ✓ Direct add-on — no new owl needed
  • ✓ Single USB-C cable connection
  • ✓ 96-well support
  • ✓ Full SCAN software included
  • ✓ Open API included
  • ✓ Position memory after shutdown
Request Quote →
Competitive Comparison

zenCELL owl SCAN vs. High-Content Imaging Systems

Honest comparison — no marketing language.

CriterionzenCELL owl SCANIncucyte SX5Operetta CLSImageXpress
Price€24,000–29,000€60,000–80,000€150,000–200,000€150,000–250,000
96 & 384-well✓ Both✓✓✓
96-well scan speed✓ <90 secondsSeveral minutesSeveral minutesSeveral minutes
Whole-well stitching✓ Automated~ Partial✓✓
Z-travel / autofocus✓ 4mm Z-range · autofocus~ Limited✓ Confocal✓ Confocal
In-incubator monitoring✓ Continuous✓✗ Bench-top✗ Bench-top
Open API✓ Hamilton · Beckman · ImageJ✗ Proprietary~ Limited~ Limited
Plate change automation✓ Optional~ Add-on~ Add-on~ Add-on
Compatible vessels6/24/96-well · T-flasks · dishes (35/60/100mm)96/384-well · T-flasks96/384-well · T-flasks96/384-well
Add-on upgrade✓ Stage from €10,000✗✗✗
Made in Germany✓✗ USA✗ USA✗ USA
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — the SCAN stage is a direct add-on for all existing zenCELL owl systems. It connects via a single USB-C cable. The stage starts from €10,000 for the 96-well configuration. Contact us to confirm compatibility with your specific owl generation.
Autofocus is fully automatic — similar to how a smartphone camera focuses. The motorized stage provides precise, reproducible plate positioning. The system automatically focuses within a 2mm range. The stage retains its last position after shutdown, so no recalibration is needed on restart.
A complete 96-well plate — all 96 wells imaged and analysed — takes under 90 seconds. This is based on 20 seconds per 24 images plus 1–2 seconds travel time per position. Travel time is adjustable depending on your application. The 384-well plate takes approximately 4× longer, still well under 6 minutes.
Yes. The system is suitable for monitoring spheroids and organoids in standard well plates — the 4mm Z-range accommodates the height variation of 3D cell models and software autofocus ensures sharp imaging. Long-term continuous monitoring inside the incubator is fully supported. Z-Stack imaging through sample depth is currently under technical validation — contact us for the current status and your specific application.
Yes. An automated plate change after each scan can be implemented. This is particularly relevant for labs with liquid handling robots (Hamilton, Beckman Coulter) where the open API enables a fully automated screening workflow — scan, change plate, scan next plate, repeat.
The open API supports Hamilton STAR, Hamilton VANTAGE, Beckman Coulter Biomek, and any platform that supports Python or REST API calls. ImageJ/FIJI is natively supported and free. Custom integrations available on request — contact us to discuss your specific automation setup.

Ready to Scale Your Live Cell Imaging?

Free remote demo — see zenCELL owl SCAN imaging a full 96-well plate live, inside an incubator. No commitment required.

Free via MS Teams  ·  Twice per week  ·  No commitment  ·  Response within 24h

Live view

See zenCELL owl
live, 30 min, free online

Real cells. Real data. Real comparison. Watch AI cell counting, XYZ stage and full software live inside a real incubator — twice a week via MS Teams.

Full course of live cell imaging

Get your free live online demonstration of the zenCELL owl directly inside an incubator, available twice per week.

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