TPS-24 Video

The TPS-24 features an easy-to-use auto tip loading system that makes using disposable tips easy.

The TPS-24 can easily accommodate either portrait or landscape operations. The user can rotate the plate nests to the orientation of their choice. The plate nests are locked into position by pegs. Once the user sets up either portrait or landscape operation, the pipettor will automatically load the correct number of tips. The same head can be used for portrait and landscape operations, providing more economic savings for the lab.


TPS-24 Deck in Portrait Orientation	TPS-24 Deck in Landscape Orientation

The following video shows a row of tips being loaded with the TPS-24 configured in landscape mode. To manually load tips, click the "Manually Load Tips" button in the TPS-24 software, then, click on the row of tips you would like to load. It will turn red as shown here, so row "H" will be loaded when the OK button is clicked. This head would be used for pipetting to 96-well plates by rows.

This video shows a column of tips being loaded with the TPS-24 configured in portrait mode. To manually load tips, click the "Manually Load Tips" button in the TPS-24 software, then, click on the column of tips you would like to load. It will turn red as shown here, so row "12" will be loaded when the OK button is clicked. This is the same head that is shown above, but with the deck oriented in the landscape mode, only the middle 8 tips are loaded onto the head, so it is ready for pipetting to 96-well plates by columns.

The following two videos show Apricot Designs ESP tips being loaded onto a 24 channel head for pipetting to 384-well plates. The left video shows 24 tips being loaded for landscape operations, and the right video shows the middle 16 tips being loaded for portrait operations.

It is also possible to use low-volume ESP tips with a 12-channel head designed for this purpose. As shown in this video, the head accesses the low volume tips, which are provided in a package od 384, and picks up alternating tips. This is useful for low-volume pipetting to 96-well plates.

The unloading of tips is accomplished with the same user interface. The user selects the empty slot in the tip box and the pipettor ejects the tips there. A positive removal mechanism is used to make sure that all of the tips have been removed from the head. The following two videos show the tip unloading for landscape and portrait modes.

A similar process is used to program the TPS-24 to load and unload tips during the course of an automated method. A single line is placed into the method describing the starting position for using tips. The TPS-24 will then automatically load and unload the tips for a run, and will keep track of which tips have been used from the tip box.

For use on automated systems with robotic arms or stackers that are supplying tips, the software can be programmed accordingly, allowing for extended-time walkaway operations.