Backgrounded Membrane Imaging – The Best Way to Perform Particle Analysis
Backgrounded Membrane Imaging (BMI) has reinvented light microscopy with its powerful combination of robotics, image processing, optics, and Fluorescence Membrane Microscopy (FMM). This advanced 96-well plate format enables quicker and more accurate discovery, making research smarter and safer.
Get the Whole Picture with BMI: What You’re Not Seeing Can Hurt You
Particle analysis technology has long been limited; only providing a tiny glimpse into what's actually present in formulations—leaving important questions unanswered.
Halo Labs uses Backgrounded Membrane Imaging (BMI), a high-contrast imaging technique, to help solve these problems. BMI brings clarity to formulation risks that were previously hard to see, breaking through traditional limits quickly and accurately. One minute is all it takes to analyze a sample. With the ability to test 96 samples in less than two hours, it's a valuable tool for drug development.
Backgrounded Images: The Key to Sensitive Robust Early Stage Particulate Detection
BMI uses sophisticated image processing techniques to analyze images and acquire particle data. The key is to first take a background image of the membrane.
Following sample filtering for particle capture, the same membrane is re-imaged, this time with particles on the surface. The "background image" is precisely aligned with the "measure image," and then subtracted pixel by pixel to remove the background texture and reveal the particles.
Due to measuring particles against air instead of liquid, the refractive index contrast in BMI is 10x greater than in liquid measurements such as light obscuration and flow imaging, providing the increased sensitivity required for robust early stage particulate detection. Aura uses high powered optics and sensitive sensors to image particles, and the analysis is fully automated.
Biological aggregates are mechanically compliant and lay flat on the surface of the membrane (left), whereas extrinsic contaminants protrude, providing greater SIMI signature (right).
How BMI Works
Particle analysis has never been simpler. With this innovative technology, you can screen up to 96 samples quickly and easily in just three steps:
- Backgrounded Membrane Imaging begins with imaging a new membrane plate.
- Pipetted samples are then placed into separate wells on the membrane, and a gentle vacuum is applied.
- Finally, load the plate once more and hit the "measure" button—it’s that straightforward.
Why Choose BMI
| BMI | LIGHT OBSCURATION | FLOW IMAGING | |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW VOLUME REQUIREMENTS |
Requires 5 µL – 100X less than competition.
|
Requires 5 mL.
|
Requires 500 µL.
|
| HIGHLY REPRODUCIBLE |
CVs of polydisperse samples under 6%.
|
Highly variable on polydisperse samples.
|
Highly variable on polydisperse samples.
|
| CONSUMABLE |
ZERO particle carry over, cross contamination & washing.
|
Multiple components that require washing.
|
Expensive flow cell that requires washing.
|
| HIGH REFRACTIVE INDEX CONTRAST (HIGH SENSITIVITY) |
Dry based measurement = analyze small & dim particles with higher fidelity.
|
Low contrast, liquid based measurement.
|
Low contrast, liquid based measurement.
|
| FLUIDICS FREE |
ZERO purge volume, leaking & clogging.
|
Fluidics-based.
|
Fluidics-based.
|
| NO CONFOUNDING “PARTICLES” |
Air bubbles not measured.
|
Air bubbles counted as particles.
|
Air bubbles counted as particles.
|
| INSTRUMENT COMPATIBILITY |
Particles on membrane can be analyzed later with other instruments.
|
Sample ends up in waste, no additional analysis possible.
|
Sample ends up in waste, no additional analysis possible.
|
Featured Products
Aura+
With the ability to support the full range of development and manufacturing applications across therapeutic approaches—including protein/antibody therapeutics, gene therapies, cell therapies, and small molecules— Aura+ packs powerful flexibility into a single particle analyzer.
Features
- 5 µL to 10 mL volume
- Particle characterization for protein, cell and gene therapeutics
- Three fluorescent channels for particle identification
- 4x and 20x magnification imaging
Aura PTx
Get the most out of your protein therapy quality measurements with Aura PTx. Our advanced technology can quickly detect, count and characterize excipients and subvisible particles, giving you valuable insights into drug stability during early stages of product development.
Features
- Fluorescence enabled for protein analysis and immunoassays
- Degraded polysorbate and excipient analysis
- High throughput, low volume platform for formulations development
- USP 788 compliant
