F r a u n h ofe r I n s tit u te fo r M a n u f a ct u r i n g E n g i n ee r i n g a n d A u tom a tio n I P A
1
1 a with I-DOT printed array (drop distance =
500µm)
2 Function diagram of the I-DOT stamp on a
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3
I-DOT: IMMEDIATE DROP ON
DEMAND TECHNOLOGY
96 microtiter plate
3 Prototype of I-DOT
The term I-DOT refers to an automated
Direct, fast and contamination-free
high-throughput system for handling
sampling from a microtiter plate without
C o n t a ct
liquid samples
the need for disposable pipette tips!
Fraunhofer Institute for
One of the most common handling steps
A microtiter plate (MTP) in SBS format is
Manufacturing Engineering
in bioprocess technology is the handling of
used as the source plate. The utilized MTP
and Automation IPA
liquids. With standard devices, processing
differs marginally from standard plates in
those media and cleaning the dispensing
that it has a small centered borehole in
Nobelstraße 12
systems not only costs time and money but
the base of each well (so-called »nozzle«).
70569 Stuttgart
is also associated with quality losses. At
As the diameter of the borehole is small,
Germany
the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing
capillary pressure inside it is many times
Engineering and Automation IPA, a process
higher than pressure from liquid in a well.
Contact
has been developed which enables most
In consequence, the corrugation remains
MBE, Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Tobias Brode
pipetting steps to be carried out fully
watertight despite the presence of the
Phone +49 711 970-12 57
automated in a compact device and
borehole and functions as a threshold
Fax +49 711 970-10 05
therefore quick, cost-effective and flexible.
valve. If pressure in the well is significantly
[email protected]
I-DOT uses a contact free technique to
increased for a short time, liquid is passed
dispense volumes from one microtiter plate
through the nozzle.
M.Sc. Christopher Laske
to another, to glass slides, fleece or compo-
Telefon +49 711 970-12 34
nents with complex surface structures.
Fax +49 711 970-10 05
[email protected]
www.ipa.fraunhofer.de
© Fraunhofer IPA
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4 Top: dilution series in a 384 MTP;
Cost-effective
Automation and standardization
Process equipment above the source MTP
The process is of great interest to the high
5 Example of an MTP filled using
moves the dispensing head into the source
throughput market. Instead of using a
I-DOT
position. The target plate is then placed
single dispensing head, sets of 4, 8, 96 or
below it. This permits creating different
any other number of dispensing heads can
mixtures or dilution series in the target
be arranged in parallel. For example, this
plate without staining a single pipette tip.
would allow mother-daughter plates to be
Bottom: drop being dispensed from
a nozzle
generated from one 384 plate to another
The advantages of I-DOT at a glance:
within a few seconds.
Volume accuracy
–– No cross-contamination
–– Fewer disposables, lower costs
Flexibility
–– Reliable liquid handling even in the
enables generating single drops with volu-
Due to its simple construction, I-DOT can
–– Source plates made of almost any type
mes as low as one nanoliter. With I-DOT, a
be integrated into just about any existing
coefficient of variation (CV) of less than 3%
system and be used for a wide range of
–– High viscosity range
is achieved on dispensing samples in the
liquid-handling tasks. The system has
–– No complex cleaning steps necessary
lower nanoliter range. The duration of the
a high viscosity range, enabling both
–– Compact, easy-to-operate device
pressure pulse is in the microsecond range.
aqueous solutions and highly viscous media
This enables pressure frequencies of up to
up to approx. 800 mPas (equal to oil) to
700 Hz to be generated and thus larger vo-
be dispensed by a single device. Cells and
lumes to be dispensed within an extremely
particles of solid matter in suspension can
short time frame while maintaining very
also be dispensed.
The special quick-acting valve emitting
lower nanoliter range
extremely short compressed air pulses
see:
www.bioproduktion.com
Dispensing 55nl water onto a 384 MTP; CV = 3%
volume (nl)
gap
© Fraunhofer IPA
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