Traditional optical biomass probes rely on a single emitter-detector pair, resulting in a sensitivity to biomass that is highly non-linear and limited in range (see above left). The BE2100 sensor employs an array of infrared lasers and detectors. Light from each of the lasers is scattered by the cells or microorganisms, creating "glow balls" of monochromatic light.

The intensity and size of the glow balls are dependent on the biomass within the liquid culture. At early stages of growth, when the biomass is low, the glow balls will be large in size and weak in intensity.

As the cells or microorganisms grow and divide, the concentration will increase and the glow balls will reduce in size and increase in intensity. The BE2100 sensor is arranged such that there are multiple separation distances between the detectors and light sources, so that not just to the intensity, but also the size of the glow balls are measured. By combining the signals from the source-detector pairs, the biomass in the liquid culture is determined with linear dynamic range orders of magnitude larger than immersion transmission techniques (see above right).