Background
The Journey to a Successful Product Line
The successful collaboration between the Competence Center for Circuit Design (CCCD) at Lund University and the founders of PHI led to the creation of M1, the first prototype of the HoloMonitor series. This significant milestone paved the way for the establishment of PHI in 2004.
PHI launched its first commercial product, the HoloMonitor M3, on the global market in 2011. This innovative bench-top time-lapse cytometer, equipped with a motorized stage and variable magnification, marked PHI’s entry into the market. The same year, PHI secured a government grant from Vinnova to advance the development of the fourth generation of HoloMonitor.
Time-Lapse Analysis of Living Cells in Incubators
Building on this momentum, PHI introduced its second product, the HoloMonitor M4, in early 2013. This device, designed for time-lapse analysis of living cells directly within their culture incubators, further expanded PHI’s impact in the field.
Today, HoloMonitor systems are utilized across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. The versatile applications and significant benefits of using HoloMonitor are well-documented in over 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications.
Challenges with Conventional Methods
Modern drug research relies heavily on experiments conducted on cultured cells. However, living cells are translucent, making them difficult to visualize with ordinary light microscopes without the use of stains or labels. Many conventional visualization methods are destructive, meaning cells are often only studied post-mortem.
The Innovation of Holographic Microscopy
PHI’s time-lapse cytometers offer a non-invasive approach to studying the kinetics of cellular responses, providing continuous observations rather than static snapshots typical of traditional endpoint assays. These cytometers leverage a groundbreaking technology—holographic microscopy—that enables the automatic analysis of living cells in ways previously unattainable.
With over 10 patents granted and a robust portfolio of future applications in development, PHI is at the forefront of a digital revolution in light microscopy, fundamentally enhancing our ability to observe and understand living cells.