Microplate washers combine buffer dispensing and aspiration cycles to remove reagents from sample wells. Microplate washers include automatic washing devices and manually-operated washers for all configurations of microplates and strips.
Microplate washers are differentiated by manufacturers by several specifications, including speed and number of wash cycles, the number of available preprogrammed settings, the amount of fluid contained in the wash reservoir that is used per cycle, soak time, dispensing volume, and the instrument’s physical dimensions. Microplate washers can be used to wash and prepare plates for a variety of test routines, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests, cytotoxicity, agglutination, and cell washing. Cell washing systems are often used by blood banks and laboratories.
Microplate washers combine buffer dispensing and aspiration cycles to remove reagents from sample wells. Microplate washers include automatic washing devices and manually-operated washers for all configurations of microplates and strips.
Microplate washers are differentiated by manufacturers by several specifications, including speed and number of wash cycles, the number of available preprogrammed settings, the amount of fluid contained in the wash reservoir that is used per cycle, soak time, dispensing volume, and the instrument’s physical dimensions. Microplate washers can be used to wash and prepare plates for a variety of test routines, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests, cytotoxicity, agglutination, and cell washing. Cell washing systems are often used by blood banks and laboratories.
Manual microplate washers consist of a reservoir fitted with multiple channel pipettes that can be used to wash multiple-well microplates. A strip washer typically includes multiple channel manifolds for rinsing down larger microplates. For large microplates, such as those with 384 wells, automatic manifolds can be used to dispense liquids with the use of precision tips. Automated microplate washers can be programmed to deliver a slow gentle drip of fluid on a plate, or to provide s full force, high pressure washing. An automated microplate washer can wash single strips or full plates and can also wash plates from the side and bottom. An automated plate washer can be programmed for column or row washing for the partial washing of large microplates.
Microplate washers use different solutions for different applications. Some automated microplate washers can be programmed with specific wash protocols to dispense only certain types of solutions or allow defined soak times. Other products include an aspiration sweep function to minimize any residual volume left in the microplate wells. Microplate washers may also have an alarm function to indicate when the waste reservoir is full or nearly full.
