Cytkit

Your spectral cytometer sidekick

  • Low Cost, Kit Form, Open Source
  • 488-nm laser, forward scatter, side scatter, one spectral fluorescence array (15 channels total), volumetric cell counting
  • As seen at CYTO 2025
Join the waiting list for purchase in 2025!

What is Cytkit?

For every lab


Accessible high-performance spectral cytometer for biologists, technology developers, lab hackers, educators…

Low cost


Easy to assemble, align, configure and maintain yourself, no service contracts

FSC / SSC / 13 FL + volumetric sample flow

Measure cells with up to ~ 10-colour panels, with absolute volumetric counting of cell populations

Cytkit all 3D printed mechanics
Cytkit spectral optical model
Cytkit assembled optics

Product Spec

  • Cytometry spec: 1 x 488-nm laser, 1 x FSC, 1 x SSC, 1 x spectral fluorescence array (13 x FL)
  • Kit of 3D-printed mechanics, optics, fluidics and electronics + cross-platform open source software for your host PC. Instructions for assembly/alignment/configuration/usage
  • Positive-displacement sample pump for absolute volumetric cell counting
  • Performance (sensitivity, precision, linear range) comparable to leading commercial flow cytometers, at a fraction of the price

Open Source

Repo: https://github.com/salmansamson/cytkit

Contains: mechanical design, STL files for 3D printing, optical model, bill of materials with component sources

We support open source science!

The design of the Cytkit cytometer is released as open source under the CERN-OHL-2-S license. You can build your own and source all the parts separately! All mechanical parts can be 3D-printed using a consumer FDM printer. All optical and fluidic parts can be obtained from common sources. The assembled electronics hardware (detector PCBs + cytometer control and data acquisition PCB) will also be available for purchase separately from the cytometer kit. However, the cheapest way to own a Cytkit is to buy the kit from us.

You are welcome to study and modify this design. You may also manufacture and distribute new products based on it on condition that you release derivative designs under the same open source license.

Data

High sensitivity, precision and linear range

Example panel: GFP, FITC, Alexa Fluor 532, PE, StarBright Blue 615, Real Blue 613, PE-Fire 640, PerCP, BB700, PerCP-eFluor 7AAD, 710, PE-Cy7