MBIA
Multi-use Broadband Impedance Analyzer
From lab discovery to routine field monitoring, on one simple handheld instrument.
One device, start to finish
Discover
Sweep the full spectrum in the lab
Model
Find the signal that matters
Monitor
Quick, consistent readings in the field
What it does
The MBIA measures impedance: how much a sample resists and stores an electrical current. When what you measure changes (fat, water, tissue health, contamination, a hormone binding to a sensor), so does its impedance. That makes change fast and easy to track and model.
Why the MBIA
One instrument, from first experiment to everyday use
Discovery to monitoring
Explore in the lab, then run what works in the field on the same device. No second instrument.
Multi-use
Animals, plants, liquids, fuels and biosensors. Swap the cassette, not the instrument.
Simple to use
Set measurements and built-in models give answers anyone on your team can collect, not just impedance experts.
Applications
What you can measure
Fish and shellfish condition
Validation with NOAA on juvenile Chinook salmon; abalone study under way.
Animal body composition and hydration
Non-invasive readings with surface electrodes, from small animals to livestock.
Plants and crops
Tissue and root condition, stress and nutrient response.
Fuel and oil quality
Contamination and degradation; pilot testing in progress.
Biosensors for hormones and toxins
Aptamer cassettes in development, starting with progesterone and saxitoxin.
Key specs
Broadband power in your hand
2 mHz – 2 MHz
Broadband frequency range
2 / 3 / 4
Electrode configurations
127
Sensor inputs
255
On-device models
Handheld
Battery-powered, wireless, cassette interface
Getting started
Three ways to start
Use our cassettes and set experiments
Start measuring right away with ready-made protocols for common samples.
Bring your own sensors
Connect the MBIA to sensors you already use, with full control over the signal and the data.
Build something new with us
Bialume develops custom sensing elements that pair with the MBIA.
Pilot program
Try an MBIA in your lab
We're looking for researchers to help make the MBIA even simpler. We send you an instrument with a few short, set experiments and a feedback form. Measure your own samples too, and tell us where it's hard to use.
We also give a 20-minute seminar, Electrons to Elephants: From Laboratory Discovery to Field Measurement, in person or by Zoom.
Who we are
Built by impedance researchers
Keith Cox, PhD
Co-founder and Science Officer
More than 20 years of impedance research at USDA, Oregon State, USGS, the University of Alaska, the Sitka Sound Science Center and NOAA.
Dr. Pedro Bertemes Filho
Signal architecture
Professor of Electrical Engineering and bioimpedance instrumentation specialist.