manufacturer :       Hamilton

model :                   Microlab STAR IVD

annotation :           Dokumente engl .

MICROLAB® STAR Line

Today’s laboratories require flexible and fast compact robotic workstations to efficiently automate assays and sample preparation. HAMILTON ’s MICROLAB® STAR line liquid handling platforms deliver this performance by combining:

• Leading pipetting technology
• Highly scalable platforms
• A wide range of applications
• Easy to use software
• Modular accessories

Expertise in Liquid Handling Automation

When you choose a STAR line workstation, you get a system that has been developed based on 50 years of expertise in liquid handling. Valuable feedback from many customers has been constantly incorporated into our product development and has lead to innovative solutions for a broad range of applications.

Commitment to Quality

In order to ensure that HAMILTON instruments reliably operate in the laboratory for many years, HAMILTON strives to apply quality thinking to all levels of product development, manufacturing, application engineering, installation and support.

MICROLAB® STAR Line

The Industry Standard for Laboratory Automation

Advanced Liquid Handling

• Up to 16 independent pipetting channels
• Optional multiprobe head (96, 384 or Nano )
• Air displacement pipetting technology
• Easy maintenance and serviceability
• CO-RE precision tip attachment
• Tip ejection without aerosol production
• Dynamic Positioning System (DPS) with independently spreadable pipetting channels
• Monitored Air Displacement (MAD)
• Total Aspiration and Dispense Monitoring (TADM)
• Dual liquid level detection ( pLLD/cLLD )
• Easy to use VENUS software
• Complete sample traceability
• Positional accuracy for 1536-well plates

Designed Flexibility

• Modular pipetting heads, deck layouts and accessories
• Compatible with sample tubes, microplates , and custom labware
• Barcode identification for samples, microplates , reagents and carriers
• Data output in multiple formats for LIMS integration
• Wide integration possibilities for readers, washers, incubators etc.
• Microplate storage/stacking on deck

Regulatory Compliance

The STAR line offers all the tools you need for fully compliant GMP operation, including 21 CFR Part 11 compliance tools.

The MICROLAB® STAR line was specifically designed for regulated laboratories,

ensuring productive and safe operation. HAMILTON has served the clinical market for many years and continues to excel at meeting the demands of regulated environments.

Advanced Technology

Technological innovations implemented on the STAR line include independent and asymmetric positioning of pipetting channels, precise tip attachment and unrivalled dual liquid level detection. These innovations provide a wide volume range and quality pipetting .

Thus the STAR line meets the strictest requirements regarding positional accuracy, precision and flexibility. With MAD, CO-RE, and DPS, you can be assured that your application will be automated with the best process security, reliability and throughput available.

Air Displacement Pipetting

The STAR line uses air-displacement technology, which is analogous to a hand held electronic pipette. The benefits of this technology include the following:

• In combination with disposable tips, the risk of contamination of critical assays is reduced to an absolute minimum.
• High accuracy and precision from sub- microlitre volumes to 1 ml can be reached with the same pipetting channels.
• No system liquid, diluters, valves or complicated tubing is required.
• No dilution effects of samples with system fluid.

MICROLAB® STAR Line

Innovative Technology for Higher Process Reliability

Monitored Air Displacement: MAD and ADC

By monitoring the air-based pipetting action, the instrument detects clots or empty wells during the aspiration step in real time.

It can also be used to pipette highly volatile solvents that prevent automation of assays relying on such solvents on conventional pipetting robots. This Anti-Droplet Control (ADC) compensates for pressure changes in the channels that are caused by the high vapour pressure of volatile solvents in real time.

Monitored Air Displacement eliminates uncertainty in automated assays by providing reliable, consistent walk-away automation.

Total Aspiration and Dispense Monitoring: TADM

During crucial sample transfers, such as in an In Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) laboratory, parameters may be set up by the user to monitor, in real time, both the aspiration and dispensing steps. TADM verifies with a traceable digital audit trail that a sample has been transferred.

Dual Liquid Level Detection: Unrivalled Sensitivity

The independent pipetting channels offer two modes of liquid level detection (LLD): capacitive LLD and HAMILTON’s unique pressure-based system. The capacitive LLD system detects nearly all liquids in most labware containers. The pressure-based LLD system detects all liquids — including non-conductive organic solvents — independent of the container type.

The multiprobe heads (96-, 384- and Nano ) allow liquid level sensing in reagent troughs eliminating the need to program specific pipetting heights.

Compressed O-Ring Expansion: CO-RE

Many of today’s applications require precision in tip attachment and positioning. In order to ensure such precision, HAMILTON uses quality engineered components and the CO-RE tip attachment technology.

The CO-RE system attaches disposable tips or steel washable needles to the pipetting channels with a stable lock-and-key fit. This enables a precision of ±0.1 mm on all axes. The system requires no vertical force for tip attachment or tip ejection, thus eliminating mechanical stress and improving the overall system reliability along with pipetting speed and dexterity.

Furthermore the pipetting channels can:

• make use of disposable tips and washable tips within the same run
• pick up a gripper and other tools
• eliminate aerosol production upon tip ejection

Flexible and Precise Positioning: DPS

The Dynamic Positioning System (DPS) of the STAR line moves each pipetting channel independently on the Y-axis, as well on the Z-axis. Each channel uses its own high-precision motors and electronics to reach any position on the deck without the need for teaching. In applications such as hit-picking, where samples need to be transferred in an irregular pattern, this flexibility improves throughput.

Design Your Own Instrument

The STAR line’s modular and flexible design allows easy configuration of your instrument according to your needs: choose from three platforms, modular pipetting units, plate handling tools and a wide range of accessories.

Due to the modular design, changes and upgrades to existing configurations are easy. As your projects change, your STAR line workstation can also evolve to meet new challenges.

Unique Scalability

Do you want to get started in automation with a benchtop workstation, but want the option to expand your system if needed? The STARlet can be converted on site to a STARplus by means of an extension module. Deck capacity is thereby more than doubled.

Thanks to the scalability of the STAR line instruments, the widest possible range of throughputs and budgets can be accommodated: additional pipetting channels, a 96-, 384-probe head or an integrated robotic arm can be fitted to existing configurations.

MICROLAB® STAR Line

Flexible System Configuration

Platforms

Platform           Deck Size       Plate Columns           Plate Positions

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STARlet           1.0 m                5                                   25

STAR               1.5 m                9                                   45

STARplus        2.0 m                11                                 55 plus additional integration area

The instruments allow full access to 5 plate positions per row. Plates may also be stacked up to 8 high, increasing capacity dramatically.

Pipetting Units

For your configuration you can select from:

• up to 16 independent pipetting channels. Since the channels are independent units, instruments can be upgraded when the need arises. With 16 channels two microplates may be processed simultaneously, doubling throughput.
• a multiprobe head (96-, 384- or Nano ) that can be fitted on the instrument for increased throughput. If a multiprobe head is not part of your initial configuration, you can still add it at a later stage. This ensures that flexibility to increase throughput is retained whatever your initial budget.

Head                            Volume Range            Tip Sizes

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Channels                     0.5µl-1000µl                 10µl, 50µl, 300µl & 1000µl

5ml-Channels             50µl-5000µl                  5000µl

96-Probe Head            0.5µl-1000µl                 10µl, 50µl, 300µl & 1000µl

384-Probe Head          0.5µl-50µl                     30µl & 50µl (using 4to1 Tip-adapters,

the CO-RE 384 head can be turned into a CO-RE 96 head with a volume range of 2µl-300µl on the fly)

Nanopipetting Head     20µl-20,000µl               n/a

Plate Handling Tools

Depending on the complexity of the labware handling involved in the application, you can select from

• the small CO-RE Gripper that can be picked up by two channels during a run. With this tool the channels can transfer plates on the deck - without the need for a robotic hand.
• the internal robotic hand iSWAP - when rotation of plates or access to peripherals outside or below the deck is required (incubators, hotels etc.). It can reach positions up to 100mm beyond and below the deck. Both CO-RE gripper and iSWAP do not require teaching of positions.
• the tube-gripper channel offers handling possibilities for reagent tubes (diameter 8mm-20mm).

Automating Life Science Applications

STAR line instruments excel in automating multiple applications for both the biological and analytical sciences. Thousands of STAR line workstations have been installed around the world to automate a wide range of applications. They offer the flexibility and modularity you need to create the perfect automated solution for your laboratory. For specific demands, the HAMILTON application engineering group is available to design everything from custom racks to complex system integrations.

• Nucleic acid purification
• PCR setup and purification
• Sequencing
• Sample normalization
• Microarray sample prep
• Cloning
• Protein crystallization
• In-gel digestion
• MALDI TOF spotting
• Protein precipitation
• Protein purification
• Colony picking
• ADMET
• Solubility assays
• Compound handling
• Hit picking
• Plate replication
• Solid phase extraction
• Liquid-liquid extraction
• Cell culture maintenance
• ELISA processing
• Blood grouping
• Pooling
• Combinatorial Chemistry

Selecting the Right Automation Solution

With the modularity and flexibility of the STAR line instruments, almost any configuration is possible. Selecting from a wide variety of platforms, modules and accessories you can create the perfect configuration for your specific application based on:

• desired degree of automation
• throughput, number of samples, walk-away time and precision
• requirements regarding data handling, sample tracking or integration into LIMS systems

MICROLAB® STAR Line

Technical Specifications

MICROLAB STAR

Instrument Dimensions

width : 1664mm (1990mm with multiprobe head),

height : 903mm

depth : 795mm

( autoload : 1006mm)

Work Area Dimensions

width : 1215mm

height : 195mm

depth : 465mm

Weight

145 kg (8 channels)

160 kg (96-probe head and 8 individual channels)

Deck Capacity

54 tracks (T) allow combinations of: maximum of 9 carriers (6 T) holding 5 plates maximum or tip racks or per carrier. Multiprobe head can reach up to 7 carriers on the deck and 65mm beyond the deck (on the left side)

Positional Accuracy

X-Y-Z positional accuracy of 0.1mm

Tip Sizes

low volume: 10μl, standard volume: 300μl, 50µl tips, high volume: 1000μl.

Only for 5ml channel: 5ml tips.

Only for 384-probe head: 30µl, 50µl and 4to1 tip adapters.

Needle Sizes

low volume: 10μl, standard volume: 300μl, high volume:1000μl, needles available only for individual channels

Pipetting Specifications for Disposable Tips*

* Test criteria available upon request

Individual channels

tip size                         volume             precision          trueness

µ                       µ                       %                     %

------------------------------------------------------------------------

10                     0.5                    6.0                    10.0

10                     10                     1.0                    1.5

50                     1                       4.0                    5.0

50                     50                     0.75                  2.0

300                   200                   0.75                  1.0

1000                 1000                 0.75                  1.0

5000                 5000                 0.5                    1.0

96-probe Head

tip size                         volume             precision          trueness

µ                       µ                       %                     %

------------------------------------------------------------------------

10                     1                       5.0                    5.0

10                     5                       2.0                    2.5

50                     5                       2.0                    2.5

50                     50                     1.0                    1.5

300                   50                     1.0                    1.5

1000                 1000                 1.0                    1.0

384-probe Head

tip size                         volume             precision

µ                       µ                       %

---------------------------------------------------------

50                     0.5                    6.0

50                     1                       3.5

50                     50                     2.0

The CO-RE 384-probe head uses special

50µl-384 tips, and can be used as a 96-probe

Head with the 4to 1 tip adapters.

Typical Pipetting Data for Needles*

(Needles cannot be used on the CO-RE 96 and 384 heads)

* Test criteria available upon request

Individual channels

needle size      volume             precision          trueness

µ                       µ                       %                     %

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10                     1                       8.0                    5.0

10                     5                       2.0                    2.5

300                   50                     2.0                    2.0

300                   200                   1.0                    1.0

1000                 1000                 1.0                    2.0

Nanopipetting Head

volume                         precision

-----------------------------------------------

100nl (HV)                   8.0%

25nl ( LV )                      8 ,0 %

Two Modules:

Pipetting range 20nl-3000nl and

Viscosity up to 4CP ( LV ) and

100nl-3000nl with viscosity

up to 38CP (HV)

For pipetting of less than 10µl HAMILTON recommends low volume disposable tips to achieve highest pipetting precision.

Liquid Level Detection

Individual Channels:

Capacitive liquid level detection ( cLLD ) and pressure ( pLLD ) on aspiration, cLLD on dispense, minimum volume 10μl, depending on container type

96- and 384-Probe Head:

Capacitive liquid level detection ( cLLD )

Throughput

8 Channels:

To fill one 96-well microtiter plate with 100μl samples (new tips for each sample): 320s

Aliquot reagent to a 96-well microtiter plate (<90μl per well): 60s

96-Probe Head:

Replication of one 96-well plate, 100μl, with cLLD on aspiration: 35s (incl. new tips)

Reformatting of four 96-well plates to one 384-well plate, 50μl, new tips, with cLLD on aspiration: 140s

Labware

all SBS standard plate types up to 1536 wells and most commercially available tube types

Carriers

for all standard labware formats and according to customer requirements

Operating Data

maximum power consumption           600 VA or 1000 VA (depending on configuration)

voltage                                                115 V~/230V~

frequency                                            50 / 60 Hz ± 5%

delayed action fuse                             115 V~: 6.3 A, 230 V~: 3.15 A

operating temperature range             15°C - 35°C (relative humidity 30% - 85% with no

condensation )

Recommended PC

Pentium IV, ≥ 512 MB RAM, 40 GB hard drive, CD-ROM drive, Windows® XP Professional (not included in shipment)

Communication

USB, RS232