RapidPick SP
Hudson’s RapidPick SP is a single-pin version of Hudson’s widely acclaimed RapidPick multi-pin colony-picker and re-arrayer. Like the RapidPick and RapidPick Lite, the RapidPick SP has all the features needed by users in today’s molecular biology environment. The RapidPick SP has been designed to meet the needs of labs that can benefit from automated colony-picking and data-handling, but whose throughput needs can be met by its medium-throughput productivity.
Its key features include:
- Ease-of-use
- Low cost
- Compact, lab bench size
- Expandable to robotic loading
The RapidPick SP
The RapidPick SP has all the colony-picking and colony-handling features of our other RapidPick models, and is designed for medium-throughput, 400 colonies per hour. The RapidPick SP fits easily on most lab benchtops, and is ideal for use within anaerobic chambers.
The imaging system, picking pin and sterilization system on the RapidPick-SP is the same as the imaging system, picking pin and sterilization system on the standard RapidPick. The differences are the plate loading and the number of pins used to pick samples.
The wash and sterilization system has been used on the picking system for over 10 years. Multiple customers have tested the sterilization of the system with PCR and there has never been an issue with contamination after the heater.
There is no need to change the pins for picking and reformatting applications. The RapidPick SP makes the change in software and uses the same pins. Larger diameter pins are available if desired. The standard pins transfer ~50nl of liquid. The system can be set up for multiple transfers from the same source if needed.
The system is fully compatible with Hudson’s PlateCrane EX. SoftLinx scheduling software, already installed on the RapidPick-SP is ready to go for integration of the plate handling arm and stacks. Advanced integration with other instruments as part of a complete molecular biology workcell is easily done.
The RapidPick SP includes the following features:
- Easy-to-use, easy to set up, easy to maintain, easy to grow as applications change.
- The software is easy to use and robust for colony picking
- Re-arraying option for plate replication and cherry picking is included at no charge
- Optional modules include: Halo picking, GFP picking, Colony counting, LED light panel in any color
- Software is intuitive and requires no programming
- Easily set maximum colonies to pick from segment or plate
- Easily set control wells anywhere in the destination plate, 1, 2 or 3 wells or whole rows or columns. Controls are 100% user-defined
- Includes basic service kit for minor issues like pin replacements
- 48 hour response time for field service in most areas around the world
- Includes barcode scanners for source and destination plates at no charge and all data tracking.
- The RapidPick SP is very economical with its low price and low cost maintenance.
- The picking area is fully-enclosed for a clean and safe work environment.
- The RapidPick SP can be expanded anytime to include automated media dispensing, shaking incubation, plate sealing and/or greater plate capacity.
- Holds 1 source plate and 1 destination plate at a time
- Uses a LED light box with the intensity of the lights controlled in software.
- LED lights can be changed to different colors if desired.
- Camera takes an image of the entire plate in a single image. No image cropping or building is required.
- The user creates parameter files for identifying good colonies. There is no limit to the number of parameter files that can be created. Good colonies are determined by size, shape, contrast to background and closeness to other colonies.
- The user has the option of manually editing the plate to be picked if desired. Colonies can be selected or deselected with the click of the mouse.
- Operation of the picker is very fast and easy; scan image, analyze image, edit image and start picking.
- Typical picking speed is 1 pick every 9 seconds; 400 wells inoculated per hour
- Can pick through the agar and hit the bottom of the plate with no damage to the pin, the linear slide or the plate.
- The inoculation pin can be set to “wiggle or dither” in the destination well from 1-10 shakes, resulting in inoculation efficiency of 98%+.
- Wash station is a vacuum wash to remove loose debris on the pin. After leaving the wash station the pin travels through a brush to remove anything remaining
- Pins is sterilized with direct heat. The tungsten pin heats through and all sample on the pin is destroyed. The tungsten construction allows the pin to cool before being used for picking again.
- The picker can support NUNC Omnitrays and Petri dishes for picking
- The picker supports most SBS format shallow and deep well plates for the destination or in use with plate replication; 24 wells, 96 and 384 formats.