Cell Perfusion System to Incorporate State-of-the-Art Microplate Mover

A new automated system for the study of cellular secretions such as insulin will be served by the recently developed microplate mover technology.

The Biorep Technologies (Miami, FL, USA) Perifusion system was designed for studies involving cell secretions. For example, it is used to perform in vitro testing of islets of Langerhans. These cells act as natural sensors of glucose in the pancreas. The Perifusion system allows a group of islets to be bathed with different solutions containing varying concentrations of glucose and/or cell secretions in a controlled temperature environment.

When the Perifusion system operates, the perfusing fluid is pushed by a peristaltic pump through a sample container with the islets, and the perfusate is collected in a 96 well plate for further analysis. The well plate moves automatically accordingly to the number of sample containers in use and the preset sampling rate. The well plate is kept to the desired temperature using an external water or alcohol-circulating unit.

The Perifusion system can accurately control sample collection for up to 12 channels in parallel, using preprogrammed protocols and requiring several sample trays. Movement of the microplates is a critical factor, and to provide this element of the operation, Biorep Technologies opted for the Thermo Fisher Scientific (Milford, MA, USA) Orbitor RS microplate mover.

The Orbitor RS is a high-speed microplate mover offering proven, reliable performance with very flexible plate handling. Extensive vertical reach allows multiple stacked or high-density instruments to be loaded in a small footprint, and a bidirectional telescoping arm provides superior reach, improved user safety and unlimited base rotations within a 360 degrees workspace. The instrument accommodates any plate format, from shallow to deep well, in addition to tip boxes and lids, tubes or racks. This flexibility is further supported by random or sequential plate access and the ability to mix modes of storage as assay requirements change. Laboratory safety is maximized, as the robotic arm is able to pass through the base and remain inside the rotating base while turning.

"Our collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific is already proving highly successful. They have provided us with easy to implement software tools, which have enabled us to quickly and effortlessly integrate the Orbitor RS with our Perifusion system, making it an ideal lab automation partner product,” said Felipe Echeverri, head of engineering at Biorep Technologies.

"We are very pleased that Biorep Technologies has chosen the Orbitor RS for use with its new Perifusion system. The flexibility of the Orbitor RS makes it suitable for a variety of instrument loading requirements and this endorsement from Biorep Technologies further supports this,” said Hansjoerg Haas, marketing director for lab automation at Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Related Links:
Biorep Technologies
Thermo Fisher Scientific