Some cell states have no molecular marker. RT-DC measures what cells are — not what you've labeled them to be. The AcCellerator brings this capability into your laboratory as a standardized, commercially available system, trusted by research groups at Max Planck Institutes, Fraunhofer centers, and universities worldwide.
Imaging-based label-free cytometry
Statistically robust single-cell analysis
Standardized platform for reproducible mechanical phenotyping
Integrated high-speed camera
Precision syringe pump
Microfluidic cartridge system
Pre-installed analysis software
What the AcCellerator Enables
Cells change their mechanical properties when they divide, differentiate, activate, or become diseased — often before any molecular marker becomes detectable. The AcCellerator measures these changes directly, in thousands of cells per second, without labels.
Controlled hydrodynamic stress deforms each cell as it passes through a microfluidic channel. A high-speed imaging system captures the response. Dedicated software extracts quantitative mechanical and morphological parameters for every single cell — in real time.
The result is a high-dimensional dataset that reflects the physical state of your cell population: not what you've labeled, but what the cells actually are.
Label-free single-cell analysis
Real-time data acquisition and parameter extraction
Integration with deformability cytometry workflows
Compatible with research and translational environments
Mechanical haemogram of whole blood — 8,479 cells characterized by size, deformation, and brightness in a single measurement. Each color represents a distinct blood cell population, resolved without fluorescent markers or antibodies. From Töpfner et al., elife, 2018, Figure 1
Designed For
The system is optimized for laboratories requiring standardized, reproducible mechanical phenotyping without fluorescent labeling.
Academic research laboratories
Core facilities and shared instrumentation platforms
Cancer, immunology and stem cell research groups
Translational mechanophenotyping studies
Method development in cellular biomechanics
Measurement Principle
Cells are guided through a defined microfluidic constriction where controlled hydrodynamic stress induces deformation. A high-speed imaging system captures cell shape changes in real time. Dedicated analysis software extracts mechanical and morphological parameters from every single cell.
The AcCellerator includes dedicated analysis software developed specifically for real-time deformability cytometry. It enables automated parameter extraction, visualization and quantitative evaluation of single-cell mechanical phenotypes.
Real-time parameter extraction (size, deformation, brightness)
Automated contour detection and image analysis
High-throughput data visualization
Gating and subpopulation analysis
Export-ready quantitative datasets
No third-party software required. The system is delivered fully configured and ready for operation.
Parameter definition and measurement control within the acquisition environment
Automated extraction and storage of image-based mechanical descriptors
Real-time gating for focused analysis of heterogeneous cell populations
Structured data output for reproducible quantitative evaluation
Key Features
High-throughput acquisition
Imaging-based label-free cytometry
Standardized microfluidic cartridges
Automated data analysis software
Modular integration options
Compatible with FluorescenceModule, HeatModule and SortingModule
Technical Specifications
Inverted microscope, 40x brightfield, NA 0.65 objective, system resolution: 340nm/pixel
Illumination 460 nm blue high power LED
Variable inserts for different microfluidic chips
Cell analysis depending on cell concentration, up to 1 000 cells/s using our software Shape-In 2
Videos: up to 10 000 frames/second using our software RecoTeem
Data format: HDF5
passive damping table recommended
room temperature stability: ± 1K (unless temperature control “HeatModule“ is installed)
RT-DC has been independently applied and published by research groups worldwide — across cancer biology, immunology, hematology, and stem cell research.
Nature Biomedical Engineering (2023) — Soteriou et al.
Rapid physical phenotyping of mechanically dissociated tissue biopsies distinguished healthy from tumorous tissue in human colon samples — without fluorescent markers.
Single-cell morpho-rheological phenotyping of whole blood detected disease-specific mechanical signatures in malaria, sepsis, and other conditions directly from patient samples.
Nature Methods (2015) — Otto et al.
The foundational publication introducing RT-DC, demonstrating quantitative mechanical phenotyping of single cells in flow at throughputs not previously achievable.
The AcCellerator is commercially available as a standardized laboratory system. Installation, onboarding and technical support are provided for academic and research institutions.
Prices start from 126 000 € and depends on your needs for a microscope or customizations. All you need are 2 m² on a stable table in a temperature stable room.
(price only for business customers from academia within Europe, excl. VAT)
