Phase Focus

Phase Focus develops and manufactures imaging technologies, specializing in label-free live cell imaging through its proprietary Ptychographic Quantitative Phase Imaging (QPI) technology. The company was established in 2006 as a spin-out from the University of Sheffield in the UK. In December 2023, Bruker announced its acquisition of Phase Focus Holdings Limited.

The company's core technology, the Phasefocus Virtual Lens®, is a computational imaging method that forms images using a high-speed phase retrieval algorithm instead of traditional hardware, which allows it to recover rich phase data often lost by conventional detectors. This technology is applied across various markets, including life sciences, healthcare, and engineering metrology.

Phase Focus's flagship product is the Livecyte® Cell Analysis System. This kinetic cytometer provides high-contrast, time-lapse videos and automated analysis of live cells, often in a 96-well plate format. It enables researchers to quantitatively measure cell morphology, motility, proliferation, and dry mass without the need for fluorescent labels or dyes, which can be toxic and alter cell behavior. The system is utilized in fields such as oncology, stem cell research, immunology, and wound healing. The technology has been recognized with multiple innovation awards.

Keywords: ptychography, quantitative phase imaging, label-free cell imaging, live cell analysis, kinetic cytometer, cell morphology, cell motility, time-lapse microscopy, high-content screening, computational imaging, virtual lens, livecyte, cell proliferation, single-cell tracking, nanoscopy, phenotypic screening, cytotoxicity assays, oncology research, stem cell imaging, biophotonics