Agilent Automation has launched the microplate seal piercer, a low-cost automated microplate piercing station that is said to be ideal for screening.
The microplate seal piercer is designed for productivity and is compatible with a variety of seals and pin plates.
The company said the microplate seal piercer is able to accurately pierce a variety of seals on 96- or 384-well microplates in four seconds of cycle time.
Specially designed piercing pins are said to guarantee a clean, controlled puncture on every microplate with a penetration depth of 3mm, even with deep-well microplates.
The Agilent microplate seal piercer can be used either as a standalone unit, or integrated into a robotic system through the ActiveX control and RS-232 serial port connection.
Indicator lights on the machine alert the operator of the machine status (ready, busy, stop, low air pressure), and a microplate alignment sensor ensures that the microplate is correctly positioned in the microplate locator before actuation.
A hardware interlock on the front door provides maximum safety to the operator.
The piercing head is easily removed for cleaning.
Reconfiguration between formats is accomplished quickly by changing the pierce head.
