Accessories to Aid Users of a Real-Time PCR Food Security System

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 02 Aug 2010

Two time saving accessories are now available for use with an advanced real-time PCR instrument that is an integral part of a highly automated food security system.

The Carousel Centrifuge and the Workflow Center are two add-on components for the Idaho Technology Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT, USA) R.A.P.I.D. LT Food Security System. This real-time PCR system combines rapid air thermocycling and a real-time fluorimeter to identify reliably biological contaminants in food and environmental samples. In addition to the instrument, robust freeze-dried reagents have been optimized to run on this instrument and provide precise results.

Image: The LightScanner system, the carousel-based thermal cycler platform that is the basis for the Carousel Centrifuge and the Workflow Center (Photo courtesy of Idaho Technology).

The system is based on the LightCycler 2.0 Real-Time PCR instrument, which is an innovative carousel-based thermal cycler platform. It was the first system to introduce hybridization probes, true melting curve analysis, automated absolute quantification, and relative quantification with efficiency correction. In this system, PCR occurs in specially designed glass capillaries, which have an optimal surface-to-volume ratio to ensure rapid equilibration between the air and the reaction components. A typical amplification cycle requires only 30 to 60 seconds; an amplification reaction with 30 cycles is usually complete in about 30 minutes.

The new Carousel Centrifuge allows users to more efficiently centrifuge both the bead tubes and capillaries used in the R.A.P.I.D. The Workflow Center is designed to aid users in setting up and handling the bead tubes and capillaries and eliminating the need for labeling in the setup process. It consists of a set of racks and disks that, when used with the Carousel Centrifuge, decreases setup time, user handling, and helps increase sample throughput.

"We are excited to provide our customers with even greater flexibility in using our R.A.P.I.D. LT Food Security System,” said David Nielsen, vice president of product development at Idaho Technology. "We feel that the addition of these new accessories is another significant milestone in our commitment to offer a product that is easy, accurate, and timely.”

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Idaho Technology Inc.