Labtech Expands Microplate Washer Range with ELx50 Filter Microplate Washer

Labtech International has announced the expansion of the ELx50 Microplate washer range with the launch of the ELx50 Filter Microplate Washer (FMW) from BioTek instruments Inc.

Based on the technology of BioTek’s automated 8-channel ELx50 strip washer with over 7,000 instruments sold, the ELx50 FMW features a syringe drive fluid-delivery system with an automated vacuum filtration solution for unattended processing of 96-well filter bottom plates.

Unlike solid bottom microplates, filter microplates must be aspirated from below instead of above to maintain the integrity of free-floating or loosely adherent materials within the microplate wells. Manual methods to wash filter microplates, including vacuum manifolds, are often inconsistent and cannot be adjusted to accommodate different fluid viscosities.

According to company, the ELx50 FMW automates the process for consistent wash performance with improved %CV’s. Its aspiration carrier may be adjusted for optimal performance with a variety of filter pore sizes from 0.45 µm to 1.2 µm, fluid viscosities and plate designs. These features are important during vacuum filtration-to-waste processes such as PCR cleanup after DNA amplification, and especially valuable when using multiplex microsphere assay technology.

“Interest in multiplex bead assay platforms using filter microplates, such as the Luminex xMAP® technology, is growing because these assays provide increased throughput in higher density formats with a high degree of accuracy and reproducibility,” remarked Jason Greene, BioTek Product Manager. “The ELx50 FMW is paramount to this assay format, providing critical levels of accuracy, reproducibility and convenience that just aren’t possible with manual wash methods.”

Additionally, the ELx50 FMW’s platform allows for programmable and automated processing of standard solid bottom microplates used in many traditional ELISA and cell-based assays.