Liquid Handling Technology

Intelligent Pipetting from FORMULATRIX®

Automated Liquid Transfer Optimization

With time-consuming liquid class optimization, liquid handlers have been transferring liquids of varying viscosities and surface tensions for years.  Finally, FORMULATRIX has developed a liquid handler that optimizes liquid transfers automatically.

Integrated pressure sensors in each pipetting channel independently monitor the aspiration and dispensing of samples and reagents and react in real-time to reproducibly pipette liquids of any viscosity and surface tension.  The algorithms embedded in the FLO® i8 Liquid Handler uses this input to dynamically adjust pipetting parameters to achieve reproducible sample preparation.

Pipetting accuracy and precision are guaranteed without user adjustment of pipetting flow rate, equilibration time, or offsets for various liquid classes.

Dynamic Liquid Level Detection and Tracking

The FLO i8 Liquid Handler takes liquid level detection and tracking to the next level with sensors that enable dynamic liquid level tracking without prior definition of labware well profiles.

Scientists can focus on their experiments instead of programming complex parameters.

Protocols can be designed quickly and easily, making the FLO i8 a viable replacement for manual pipettes as the tool of choice for simple liquid handling tasks like a serial dilution of 1-8 samples.

The First Liquid Handler With The Sense of Touch

Before dispensing into an empty plate, tip touch sensors detect the bottom or sides of the well in order to enable researchers to use any SBS footprint microtiter plate without programming the dimensions of the labware.

The pipette touch sensors also facilitate best-in-class error management and safety by detecting collisions with obstructions and halting motion before causing damage. Researchers can simply remove the obstruction, and the FLO i8 will continue from where it left off.

The FLO i8 touch sensor can detect a collision with only 30 grams of force, and the position of the pipette tip is repeatable to within 50 microns.

Positive Displacement Liquid Handling: Liquid Class Agnostic

Positive displacement liquid handling offers a number of advantages over traditional air displacement technology.

 

Positive displacement liquid handlers are designed to deliver a fixed volume of liquid from a syringe or cylinder by displacing it directly with a plunger. This makes them insensitive to a large range of viscosities and surface tensions, which can lead to significant improvements in accuracy and precision.

 

The F.A.S.T. is a next-generation low-volume positive displacement liquid handler. It uses disposable tips with axially-sealed plungers, eliminating any contamination risk.