Ultra-sensitive fluorescence imaging at up to 498 fps for calcium signalling, voltage dynamics, and cardiac contractility in live cell models.
Kinetix sCMOS: High-Speed Fluorescence Imaging
The Kinetix (Teledyne Photometrics) is a back-illuminated scientific CMOS (sCMOS) camera designed for the most demanding live-cell fluorescence imaging applications. With 96% quantum efficiency, sub-electron readout noise (0.7 e⁻), and frame rates up to 498 fps, it captures rapid biological signals — including fast calcium transients, action potential-driven voltage changes, and cardiomyocyte contractility — with exceptional sensitivity and temporal resolution.
At ChanPharm, we integrated the Kinetix into our fluorescence-based functional assay platform, complementing our electrophysiology capabilities. It enables population-level imaging of ion channel activity and cellular excitability across thousands of cells simultaneously — providing a throughput and spatial context that single-cell patch clamp cannot access.
Key Features
Technical Capabilities
Up to 498 fps — full-frame high-speed acquisition for resolving fast calcium and voltage transients in real time
96% quantum efficiency — back-illuminated sCMOS sensor captures near-photon-limited signal from dim fluorescent indicators
0.7 e⁻ readout noise — ultra-low noise floor enables detection of small fluorescence changes from low-expression indicators
10.2 MP resolution (3200 × 3200) — 29.4 mm diagonal field of view with 6.5 µm pixels, covering large cell populations at single-cell resolution
Multiple readout modes — optimised for sensitivity, speed, or dynamic range depending on the assay requirement
Applications at ChanPharm
High-speed sCMOS imaging is used at ChanPharm for functional assays where population-level optical readouts are needed. Key applications include:
Calcium indicator imaging: Real-time recording of intracellular calcium dynamics using small-molecule dyes (Fluo-4, Cal-520) or genetically encoded indicators (GCaMP). Used to assess ion channel activity, receptor pharmacology, and compound effects on cellular excitability in neurons and cardiomyocytes.
Voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) imaging: Optical recording of membrane potential changes across intact cell populations. Provides a complement to MEA field potential recordings — with single-cell spatial resolution and the ability to detect sub-threshold voltage events.
Cardiac contractility imaging: High-frame-rate imaging of spontaneous and drug-modulated contraction in human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. Beat rate, contraction amplitude, relaxation kinetics, and arrhythmic events are quantified as orthogonal cardiac safety endpoints alongside electrophysiology data.
Neurotoxicity screening: Detection of compound-induced changes in neuronal calcium homeostasis, excitotoxicity, and network burst activity in iPSC-derived or primary neuron cultures, providing a functional readout orthogonal to MEA-based network recordings.
MEA — network-level extracellular field potentials; beat rate; arrhythmia detection; non-invasive
Patch Clamp — single-cell resolution; ion channel specificity; precise voltage control; biophysical characterization
sCMOS imaging fits naturally into ChanPharm's multi-modality workflow. Calcium or voltage imaging data from the Kinetix provides an orthogonal functional layer to electrophysiological recordings, enabling compound effects to be correlated across optical and electrical readouts. Combined Kinetix + MEA or Kinetix + patch clamp experiments are routinely used for cardiac safety packages and neuropharmacology studies requiring multi-endpoint characterization.