Merck Millipore has agreed to acquire Seattle-based Amnis Corporation. Amnis designs, manufactures and markets high speed cell imaging instrumentation. The technology is used in flow cytometry applications in academic, biotech and pharmaceutical cell analysis and research. Amnis has 40 employees and generated sales of $14 million (€10 million) in 2010.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and closing is expected to take place in the fourth quarter of 2011. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.