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ARTiMiS Device

A guided tour of the ARTiMiS control app and your first measurement, from live preview to results.

First Sample Run

This page walks you through the control app and your first sample measurement. If you haven’t connected to the app yet, start with Getting Started.

The three modes

Across the top of the app is a toggle with three modes. You’ll switch between them constantly, so it’s worth knowing what each is for:

  • Operate — the live control room: the camera preview, focus and lighting, the fluidics (sample handling), and the button to start a run.
  • Configure — settings for how samples are captured and analyzed, saved profiles, and instrument options.
  • Samples — your library of completed samples, where you review results, browse particles, and upload to the cloud.

The top bar also shows your instrument’s serial number and a status dot: Idle, Preview, Running, Paused, or Offline.

The ARTiMiS top bar with the Operate, Configure, and Samples mode toggle

Step 1 — Look through the microscope (Operate)

Open Operate. The large panel on the left is the live camera preview. On the right is a control column with three tabs: Control, Lighting, and Detection.

Start on the Control tab. You’ll find cards for:

  • Focus — bring the sample into sharp focus.
  • Brightness — adjust how much light reaches the camera.
  • Fluidics — move the sample through the instrument (see the next step).
  • Cooling — the instrument manages its own temperature; you rarely need to touch this.

Operate mode showing the live preview and the Control panel

Step 2 — Load your sample

Use the Fluidics card on the Control tab to move liquid through the instrument:

  • Load draws your sample into the imaging chamber.
  • Circulate keeps the sample moving so particles are evenly distributed.
  • Rinse flushes the chamber between samples.
  • Eject clears the sample out when you’re done.

Load your sample, then watch the preview. Adjust Focus and Brightness until particles look crisp and well-lit. A good focus and a clean, evenly-lit background make for accurate counts.

Tip: If the preview looks empty or dark on the very first frame, give it a moment — the camera settles after it starts. Nudge the focus and brightness and the image will sharpen up.

Step 3 — Set up the run

At the bottom of Operate is the Sample run bar. Click Configure on that bar to open a quick setup panel where you set the essentials for this run:

  • Name — a label for the sample (a dated default is filled in for you).
  • Stop criteria — when the run should stop: after a number of captured images, a length of time, a volume of sample, or a number of detected particles.
  • Stop value — the amount for the criteria above.
  • Dilution — how much you diluted the sample, so concentrations come out right.
  • Run modes — the lighting/imaging modes to capture (for example brightfield and/or darkfield).
  • Save path — where the sample is stored (see External Storage).

You can also expand Sample metadata & location to record where the sample came from. For deeper settings, click Full settings to jump into Configure mode.

The quick-configure panel for setting up a sample run

Step 4 — Start the run

When the preview looks good and the run is set up, click Start sample.

The run bar switches to a progress view showing how far along the run is, along with live counts of frames captured, objects detected, and volume imaged. While it runs you can:

  • Pause / Resume — hold and continue the run.
  • End — stop early and keep everything captured so far.
  • Abort — discard the run entirely.

A sample run in progress with live frame, object, and volume counts

When the run finishes, a completion summary appears. Your sample is now saved and ready to review.

Tip: If ARTiMiS warns that storage is low before starting, free up space or plug in a USB drive — see External Storage.

Step 5 — Review your results (Samples)

Switch to Samples to see your library. Click your new sample to open it. You’ll see:

  • Headline counts: images, particles, classes, and imaged volume.
  • Class Distribution — a breakdown of what was found and in what proportion.
  • Sample Results — relative abundance and concentration (per mL) by class, plus sampling statistics.

A completed sample's results with class distribution and concentrations

From the sample page you can dig deeper or share:

  • View Particle Gallery — browse every detected particle as an image.
  • Explore Features — chart particle measurements.
  • Annotate Particles — correct or confirm classifications.
  • Upload to Cloud — send the sample to your PhycoSight organization for cross-device access and further analysis.

Between samples

Before running the next sample, use Rinse and Load on the Fluidics card to clear the old sample and draw in the new one. Then repeat from Step 2.

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