The xCELLigence® RTCA eSight system allows impedance-based real-time cell analysis of adherent cell types. At the same time, it is possible to take simultaneous and non-invasive (fluorescence microscopic) images of the cultured cells.

To measure impedance, a weak electric current flowing through the electrically conductive cell culture medium is applied to cell culture plates with gold electrodes on their surface. Adherent and proliferating cells as well as morphological changes act as electrical insulators and thus influence the impedance signal. Over the entire duration of an experiment, there is a linear correlation between the measured signal and the cell number with a high degree of accuracy in subconfluent cell cultures.

This allows quantitative statements about the cellular behaviour such as cell function and migration on the basis of cell number, size and morphology.

The system is thus applied for a variety of cell-based assays to evaluate the cytotoxicity of different drugs, medicines or nanoparticles and growth factors to be used in drug eluting systems, coatings or wound healing assays.