Spotxel Reader

Spotxel® Reader is an innovative free application that transforms smartphones into high-quality microplate readers, enabling researchers and laboratory professionals to capture, read, and analyze multiple samples in parallel plate formats. The app is designed for anyone working with microplate-based assays who needs a convenient, accessible, and cost-effective solution for colorimetric analysis.

The latest version of Spotxel® Reader extends its compatibility to Windows platforms, allowing users to analyze microplate images directly on Windows computers and capture images via USB- or network-connected cameras. On smartphones, the app supports image analysis of assays with samples in row, column, or microarray formats.

Core Workflow

1. Capturing: Take a picture of the microplate using your smartphone camera or a connected camera on Windows.
2. Reading: Detect and measure the color signal present in the microplate wells.
3. Analysis: Annotate the microplate, specify the assay's standard concentrations, and derive the unknown concentrations from the measured signals.

Key Features and Capabilities

• Turns smartphones into fully functional microplate readers at no cost
• Supports multiple sample formats including row, column, and microarray layouts
• Compatible with Windows platforms for desktop-based image capture and analysis
• Enables connection to USB- or network-connected cameras for image acquisition on Windows
• In-app help system accessible via the ? icon on any page, providing descriptions of all available functions
• Sample data provided, including a plate image and assay setup CSV files in both decimal-point and decimal-comma formats, allowing new users to explore functionality without requiring a physical microplate

R&D and Ongoing Development

• The development team actively shares progress updates from their lab, with fully automatic plate and well detection currently being built into the product
• Plate Detection features are available in Alpha and Alpha 2 (current) stages, reflecting ongoing improvements to automation capabilities

Spotxel® Reader has been used in published research, with studies available via Google Scholar. The product is part of a broader suite that includes Spotxel® Microarray, which offers dedicated tools for microarray image and data analysis.