• Fast accurate counts of bacterial and mammalian colonies
• Excellent contrast between colonies and substrate
• Automatic export of data into spreadsheets and data bases
• Configuration customized for your samples and stored as macros
• Counting of spiral plates (cfu/ml)
• Password protection of configuration with different user levels

Introduction to Sorcerer automatic Colony Counter
Sorcerer  combines a sophisticated image analysis system with a new Petri Viewer to provide fast, accurate counts of bacterial and mammalian colonies. Sorcerer is ideal for laboratories engaged in drug development & production, food & milk testing, environmental monitoring and public health.
     The small foot-print Petri-viewer utilizes incident, dark-field and transmitted illumination for different types of nutrient agars and other growth media. The use of very bright, cool white light ensures excellent contrast between colonies and substrate. A high resolution camera with an automatic lens relays a live image of the sample to the computer screen.
     You can create different configurations optimized for each application, for example TVC, Coliform, Ames etc. Each configuration includes system settings such as type of illumination, lens aperture, detection sensitivity and prompts for sample codes and dilution factors.
     In routine use, the user selects the configuration, enters text against headings and places the sample in the Petri-viewer. A single click starts the measurement sequence as defined by a macro. Usually this includes commands to enter a sample code, automatically separate overlapping colonies, highlight detected colonies in color and compute the count. It is also possible to include commands to eliminate objects such as debris based upon their size, shape and intensity.
     Sorcerer has facilities to overcome the often encountered problems caused by cloudy media, irregularly shaped growths and unevenly poured plates. A range of image editing functions allows the user to interactively modify the image when required e.g. to remove contaminating particles.
     Results are shown on screen after each measurement and they can also appear instantly in a Microsoft Excel workbook. It is even possible to open an Excel workbook containing sample codes, dilution factors etc. and instruct Sorcerer to carry out measurements from within Excel itself. Data can also be transferred directly to Microsoft Access and Oracle database tables. 
     Sorcerer has comprehensive software for analysis of individual objects thereby allowing colonies to be classified according to their size. Size classification tables are easily defined and can include up to 50 classes in any progression and on any measurement parameter such as diameter or area. 
     Sorcerer is designed to conform to international GLP's and other regulatory requirements. Encoded audit trail files automatically record all system activity and all data. It is fully compliant with the FDA 21 CFR Part 11 Final Rule on Electronic Records and Electronic Signature. Comprehensive support is available for specific data processing requirements such as integration with bar code readers, LIMS and other third party software. 

Sorcerer can be used for many more applications including :

• Inhibition zone measurements
• Unscheduled DNA synthesis
• Particle size and shape analysis
• Chemotaxis
• ELISPOT assays
• Mouse lymphoma assay
• Multipoint plate scanning
• Plaque counts
• Direct Epi-fluorescent microscopy

Better than 0.15mm diameter on 90mm plates. With high resolution CCD, better than 80 microns dia.

Standard resolution, 256 grey-levels at 768 x 576 pixels.
High resolution, 1280 x 1030 pixels.

Images can be saved and retrieved as Windows Bitmap files. Auto image save & save with prompt for each measurement.

• Colony count/size data transferred directly to Microsoft Excel work-book. Highly configurable results tables based on Excel for Study details, dilution factors, sample codes, count/plate, count/ml, date, time, user, comments etc.
• Measurements can be made either from Sorcerer or Excel.
• Direct transfer of data to Microsoft Access and Oracle database tables
• Support for third party data processing applications e.g. spreadsheets, databases, LIMS, Ames data programs.
• Data transfer via OLE or Dynamic Link Libraries.
• Bar code readers can be used to enter sample details.

Multiple configurations can be saved for different applications e.g. Ames, TVC, Inhibition zones, Spiral plates, Pour plates.

'Supervisor', 'Advanced user' and 'User' access levels.
User administration program.
Additional locks on individual menus and menu items.

• Encoded audit data file reports all original and edited data with reason, date, time and by whom.
• Encoded audit trail file reports all system configuration settings and changes made during analysis
• Variable, timed user log-outs and password expiry.