Founders' Inventions and Milestones

Inventions

The Original pH Meter The heritage of Beckman Coulter dates back to 1934, when Dr. Arnold O. Beckman, a professor at the California Institute of Technology, combined his knowledge of two disciplines — electronics and chemistry — to construct an "acidimeter" for a friend working in the citrus industry. Known today as the pH meter, this instrument proved so durable and accurate that it was not long before demand transformed Arnold Beckman from a full-time professor and part-time entrepreneur to founder and president of what is today a widely respected global company.

Helipot® Potentiometer From the 1940s through the mid-1980s, Beckman Coulter was active in electronics, process controls, computers and more. One of the most successful innovations was the Helipot, a helical potentiometer with outstanding precision used for fine electrical adjustment control.

Coulter Counter® Introduced in 1956, the Coulter Counter Model A was the first commercial instrument to demonstrate the "Coulter Principle" — the most widely used method in the world for counting and sizing microscopic cells and particles. The second generation of the Coulter Counter, the Model B, offered improved size analysis of materials such as minerals, fibers, cellulose, abrasives, chemicals, metal powders, pigments, propellants, soils and foodstuffs.

Milestones

DU® Spectrophotometer Developed in 1941, this innovation analyzed chemical substances by the use of light and made results that previously took weeks to obtain possible in minutes. Today, the spectrophotometer is used to investigate the conversion of solar energy to fuel; understand photochemical properties of cancer-fighting chemotherapies; measure vitamin content, color and nutrients in the food industry; and measure and monitor the behavior of nucleic acids and proteins for the Human Genome Project, a 13-year venture begun in 1990 to identify nearly 80,000 human genes.

Model D2 Oxygen Analyzer The Model D2 was developed in 1943 by the Arnold O. Beckman Company in association with Dr. Linus Pauling. The unit helped prevent blindness in newborns who received too much oxygen in their incubators prior to the introduction of the oxygen analyzer. The analyzer was used for respiratory studies, oxygen therapy (incubators, oxygen tents, inhalators), anesthesiology, cardiac catheterization, industrial hygiene studies and metabolism/culture studies.

Model E Analytical Ultracentrifuge Developed in 1947, the Model E Analytical Ultracentrifuge was equipped with an optical system so that spinning biological molecules could be viewed and photographed. That capability gave scientists a new investigative tool to measure the size, shape and mass of large molecules, such as proteins and DNA. With the Model E, Drs. Meselson and Stahl at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, physically confirmed in 1958 how DNA replicates.

Glucose Analyzer Developed in 1970, this instrument measured blood sugar levels in three minutes based on extremely small samples. At the time, it was considered a lifesaver because the analyzer determined quickly the treatment needed for comatose patients in diabetic or insulin shock; previous methods took half an hour.

ASTRA 8 Chemistry Analyzer Developed in 1978, ASTRA is an acronym for Automated STAT Routine Analyzer. The system was an automated, multiple-channel chemistry analyzer that determined the concentration of various chemicals in human serum, urine and cerebrospinal fluid. In fact, the ASTRA met the requirements of clinical laboratories so well that it led Beckman sales for years. Before being superceded by the SYNCHRON® line in 1986, the ASTRA was a premier instrument in diagnosing human diseases and ailments. Beckman continued to produce the popular ASTRA for 15 years after its debut.