Articles

Cell and Colony Counting with Foot Switch Counters

This is really where Sandepro’s foot switch counters started. Our foot switch counters were originally intended as a hands free way for microscopists to count stained cells on slides. In microscopy, one hand controls the x and y movements of the sample stage and the other hand controls the z movement of the sample stage. So if you’re counting cells while looking in the microscope it makes sense to count using your feet! Sandepro sold many foot switch counters addressing this application. Since then, several universities have also purchased foot switch counters for colony counting. Again, makes sense! I’m sure there are lots of other scientific applications that counting with your feet would be advantageous. Give us a call and let’s talk about it!

Process Repetitions Counting with Foot Switch Counters

Our respect and admiration goes out to those whose life’s work is helping others. Sandepro was happy to give an educational discount to a school using our foot switch counter to track how many repetitions were required for challenged individuals to learn new tasks. We’re told that the instructors used the foot switch counters to help compare different teaching methods and that the counter not being visible to the individual performing the task is psychologically advantageous.

Counting Creatures with Foot Switch Counters

I had to use the word creatures because “counting creatures” sounds cool. In any case, it’s true, we’ve had a customer buy foot switch counters to count…wait for it…horseshoe crabs. No lie. I can’t say why they’re breeding horseshoe crabs but I can say that is what they’re doing with our counters! I can imagine there are lots of other creatures you could count with our foot switch counters (any mouse breeders out there?). Or maybe you want to count the cows or sheep when they come into the barn (and your hands are busy giving the animals eyes, ears, coat, … a lookover). You let us know and we’ll work with you on counting those four legged friends.

Counting Hair Grafts Implants in Hair Restoration Procedures

Hair replacement clinics provide a commendable service to a sizeable fraction of the population. Testimonies from patients indicate that improvements to their self-image and confidence that comes with hair replacement are substantial. Numerous clinics have ordered and found foot switch counters to be valuable additions to their process. Rather than mentally, verbally or manually recording the number of hair grafts, the doctor is able to use a Sandepro foot switch counter to keep accurate track of the number implanted during a procedure. This makes the procedure quicker, more efficient and less costly

Counting Mosquitos with a Custom Wireless Foot Switch Counter System

Unfortunately, there are still places in the world where malaria poses a real, and severe, health risk. However, there are not only existing malaria vaccines, but also companies developing new, better, less expensive vaccines. Sandepro has been lucky to work with one such company. We developed a custom system with wireless foot switches and their associated counter displays in ten separate biological safety hoods and a master counter located at a central station. Using this system, the company was able to examine and count infected mosquitos quickly, effectively, and safely. We hope that this system will help the company to offer another vaccine in the fight against malaria in effected areas of the world.

Counting Repetitive Manufacturing Steps with Foot Switch Counters

Have you ever seen how many windings are in a typical motor? The answer is lots (and lots). So I guess it’s not surprising that a motor manufacturer contacted us and purchased foot switch counters to keep track of how many windings the assembly personnel have performed. Both of their hands are busy doing very precise work but the performance of the motor is dependent on getting the number of windings correct. Sandepro’s foot switch counters allow the company to quickly, easily and accurately count the motor windings while leaving their hands free for the precision process.

Counting School Lunches

Did you know that a many needy families receive financial assistance from the US government in the form of subsidized lunches? This program is available in every US state and enables these children at elementary, middle and high schools to enjoy the same meals as all other children at their schools. In order for the schools to be compensated for these meals, the schools must submit participation reports to the government. Of course, it’s more difficult to serve food or operate a cash register if you’re also having to write down each time a subsidized meal is served. Sandepro has been pleased to provide academic discounts on our wired and wireless foot switch counters to numerous schools for this purpose. They tell us that using the foot switch counters greatly improves their ability to serve food quickly and easily while generating the count necessary for government reporting.

Foot Switch Counters for Inventory Control and Defect Tracking

We’ve sold wired and wireless foot switch counters to numerous customers for use in inventory control. It’s amazing the wide variety of products which are counted easier, faster, and more reliably if your hands are busy but your feet are available! We’ve sold to companies counting ladders, wood panels, bags of mulch, motors, etc. Whether you’re counting satisfactory parts rolling by on an assembly line or you’re counting and removing defective parts, a foot switch counter allows you to use your hands for one thing a leaves the counting to your feet.