PRODUCTS
QPix® XE Compact Automated Colony Picker
The QPix® XE system is a compact, automated solution designed for efficient microbial colony picking, tailored specifically for laboratories with limited space or targeted application requirements. Engineered to replace highly subjective and error-prone manual picking workflows with precision automation, it serves as an ideal entry-level system within the QPix portfolio. The system delivers reliable screening and selection capabilities while maintaining a minimal laboratory benchtop presence.
Target Applications
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Standard Molecular Cloning & Plasmid Preparation: Replaces repetitive manual picking with consistent automation, minimizing human error and standardizing workflows for smaller research setups.
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Academic & Routine Microorganism Selection: Provides core automated colony recovery for academic labs and specialized research facilities looking to transition away from manual colony management.
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Targeted Library Management: Enables accurate selection and transfer of target clones from mixed cultures into standard destination formats for downstream evaluation.
Key Capabilities & System Advantages
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Space-Saving Benchtop Design: Features a minimal and highly compact physical footprint, making it perfectly suited for smaller laboratories or facilities where workspace optimization is critical.
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Accurate Colony Selection: Equipped with advanced imaging technology to ensure objective and precise picking, eliminating the human bias and variation associated with manual selection.
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User-Friendly Operation: Simplifies the entire automated colony picking process through an intuitive and easy-to-use software interface, facilitating fast setup and routine walkaway operation.
QPix® HT High-Throughput Microbial Colony Picking System
The QPix® HT High-Throughput Microbial Colony Picking System is a fully automated, industrial-scale robotic workcell engineered to provide the highest level of flexibility, throughput, and walkaway time within the QPix portfolio. Designed to handle large-scale workflows and library management, it offers advanced modular integration with robotics to eliminate repetitive, time-consuming tasks. The system enables robust, automated screening and selective transfer of microbial colonies with continuous, clear record tracking across complex multi-format experiments.
Target Applications
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High-Throughput Transformation & Library Management: Automates large-scale genetic library management, pooled library setups, and high-volume clone selection post-transformation.
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Industrial Microbial Strain Engineering: Enables rapid identification, screening, and phenotypic tracking of vast microorganism variant libraries to isolate top-producing production strains.
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Antibody Discovery & Phage Screening: Accelerates antigen-antibody screening cycles by expanding the volume of variant screening arrays to increase the probability of capturing high-affinity binders.
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Molecular Cloning at Scale: Standardizes the iterative process of transforming, plating, streaking, and tracking to support continuous operation in high-volume sequencing facilities and biotech platforms.
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Synthetic Biology & Biofuels Development: Integrates seamlessly into design-build-test-learn bioeconomy engineering pipelines that rely on high-capacity automated biofoundry workflows.
Key Capabilities & System Advantages
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Industrial Scale Automation: Configured as a fully modular system ready for integration with third-party robotics and liquid-handling automation platforms to maximize laboratory efficiency and continuous performance.
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Massive Screening Capacity: Screens up to 30,000 colonies per day, delivering high-throughput execution designed for research institutes, pharmaceutical companies, and automated sequencing hubs.
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Flexible Bed Setup: Supports multiple configurations of source and destination plate formats simultaneously, allowing complex replication, rearraying, and library arrays across a broad laboratory workspace.
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Automated Labware Handling: Features automated plate de-lidding mechanisms to automatically manage contamination controls and preserve environmental sterility during walkaway runs.
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Acoustic Agar Sensing Height Technology: Incorporates integrated acoustic sensor systems that map agar height variations across source trays, permitting high-precision robotics to execute gentle, single-colony pick-ups without disrupting the growth media.
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Comprehensive Sample Traceability: Utilizes an integrated barcode reader that scans and links source plates to target plates, securing data tracking, layout histories, and error-free experimental logs.
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Advanced Multi-Modal Imaging Mode: Leverages analytical imaging algorithms to screen, identify, and select individual clones objectively based on white light and selectable multi-channel fluorescence criteria.
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Interchangeable Picking Heads: Accommodates interchangeable, organism-specific picking heads to process diverse target populations, including E. coli, phage, and yeast on a single platform.
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Rigorous Thermal Sterilization Control: Integrates dedicated multi-stage pin wash baths with a proprietary halogen heat sterilization station to eliminate cross-contamination among picking pins.
QPix® 420 Microbial Colony Picker
The QPix® 420 Microbial Colony Picker is a robust, high-throughput automated system designed to replace manual workflows and scale microbial screening with greater precision and walkaway time. As a flexible, upgradeable workhorse within the QPix portfolio, it supports advanced multi-modal imaging, diverse screening applications, and seamless future integration into automated robotic workflows. The system significantly reduces laboratory labor and time while tracking comprehensive data from start to finish to ensure complete reproducibility.
Target Applications
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Protein Engineering & Mutation Screening: Accelerates the throughput of screened variants by allowing users to navigate richer genetic libraries and rapidly select mutants with desired traits.
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Molecular Cloning & Plasmid Production: Automates the laborious and repetitive processes of cell spreading, plating, streaking, and colony recovery to eliminate human error and speed up downstream analysis.
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Microbial Strain Engineering: Identifies and selects high-producing engineered microorganisms from large libraries using customizable phenotypic selection parameters.
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Antibody Discovery & Phage Display: Increases the screening throughput of antigen-antibody interactions to optimize the identification of high-affinity binders.
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Gene Editing (CRISPR/Cas9): Enables large-scale library management, pooled library picking, and hit picking into high-throughput microtiter plate screening workflows.
Key Capabilities & System Advantages
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High-Throughput Automation & Walkaway Time: Screens and picks up to 3,000 colonies per hour with greater than 95% picking accuracy. The system increases laboratory autonomy by handling up to 12 standard 96-well destination plates before requiring manual intervention.
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Multi-Modal Imaging guided Selection: Supports advanced white light trans-illumination and optional multi-channel epifluorescence imaging. Five standard wavelengths are available (supporting DAPI/Hoechst, FITC/GFP, Cy3/DS Red, Cy5, and Rhodamine/Texas Red) to automatically image and select clones based on target intensity.
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Versatile Process Automation: Performs multiple mechanical operations beyond standard colony picking, including liquid-to-liquid plate replication, gridding, rearraying, hit picking, and structural plate compression or expansion across 96- and 384-well formats.
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Advanced Colony Screening Parameters: Utilizes objective software algorithms to allow precise, automated colony identification and selection based on defined structural traits such as size, proximity, roundness, blue-white screening, and zone of inhibition assays.
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Integrated Data Tracking & Traceability: Equipped with a built-in barcode reader that automatically scans and links source and destination plates, maintaining a continuous audit trail and clear record of experimental data.
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Acoustic Agar Height Sensing: Utilizes integrated sensor technology to detect variations in agar surface height resulting from pouring volume differences, adjusting robotic z-axis travel to ensure gentle, accurate colony pick-ups without disrupting the media.
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Rigorous Cross-Contamination Control: Combines automated UV interior sanitization with multi-stage pin washing static baths and a proprietary halogen heat sterilization station to eliminate microbial carryover between picks.
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Flexible Deck & Organism-Specific Heads: Supports an adaptable deck layout accommodating 15 cm and 9 cm petri dishes, OmniTrays, and QTrays. Features interchangeable picking heads with organism-specific pins engineered for different targets including E. coli, phage, and yeast.
QPix® FLEX™ Microbial Colony Picking System
The QPix FLEX™ Microbial Colony Picking System is an integrated, automated benchtop workcell engineered to streamline and standardize the entire microbial cell line development workflow. Purpose-built to eliminate manual variability, fragmentation, and contamination risks, the system consolidates automated agar plating, streaking, colony picking, and liquid handling into a single, space-saving instrument. It achieves a documented baseline of over 95% picking efficiency, 99% picking accuracy, and 0% cross-contamination in validated screening protocols.
Target Applications
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Microbiome Research & Anaerobic Microbiology: Optimized for fastidious or rare anaerobic microbial communities requiring sterile technique, precise colony isolation, and direct compatibility within standard hypoxic/anaerobic chambers.
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Synthetic Biology & Plasmid Production: High-throughput automated colony recovery and hit picking post-transformation to accelerate discovery, validation, and preparation cycles.
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Protein & Enzyme Engineering: Automated library screening of variants for downstream parallel analysis, correlating visible phenotype traits with early expression output.
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Microbial Strain Engineering: Rapid selection and differentiation of top-producing strains from large mutagenic libraries based on subtle phenotypic criteria such as size, shape, proximity, and color.
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Food Safety & Environmental QC: Automated pathogen screening and isolation (e.g., E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria) using selective media grouping to shorten turnaround times.
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Natural Product & Pigment Discovery: Phenotype-driven isolation of target strains through automated colorimetric identification of metabolic pigments, allowing researchers to group and rank unique colonies early in the workflow.
Key Capabilities & System Advantages
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Hypoxic and Anaerobic Chamber Integration: Sized and structurally configured with a compact footprint to operate natively inside standard low-oxygen and anaerobic environments where traditional automation systems fail to function.
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Phenotype-Based Colony Selection: Equipped with a 20-megapixel CMOS high-resolution color camera and white light trans-illumination system to classify, group, and rank target colonies based on precise color, morphology, size, shape, and proximity criteria.
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Multi-Function 4-Channel Pipetting Head: Eliminates independent fluid-handling steps by automating complex liquid transfers, media dispensing, glycerol addition, agar plating, and hit picking within the same instrument without needing additional hardware.
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Swappable Tip System: Allows hardware-free switching between eco-friendly, reusable sterilizable metal picking pins and disposable plastic filter tips (supporting 50 uL, 200 uL, and 1000 uL volumes) to easily tailor operations to specific workflow budgets or sterility controls.
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Comprehensive Sample Traceability: Features an integrated 2D barcode reader that links and tracks every plate and pick from source to destination, maintaining complete audit trails and data integrity.
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Precision Mechanical Reliability: Utilizes an ultrasonic agar height sensor to detect pouring volume variations across agar surfaces, automatically modulating robotic movement to guarantee gentle, repeatable colony pick-ups.
CryoArc™ Tera & Tera for Cassettes Automated Cryogenic Storage System
The CryoArc™ Tera platform represents a high-capacity, fully automated liquid nitrogen vapor-phase storage solution built to consolidate large sample collections down to a uniform -190°C baseline environment. Optimized for enterprise-scale operations, the system integrates advanced robotics with comprehensive inventory control to eliminate manual rack lifting and safeguard biological assets from accidental thermal exposures above the water glass transition boundary (Tg -135°C).
The platform is deployable across two core configurations: the standard CryoArc™ Tera layout optimized for standard cryobox racking, and the specialized CryoArc™ Tera for Cassettes framework. The specialized Cassette configuration integrates dedicated mechanical sub-structures designed specifically for advanced cell and gene therapy (CGT) manufacturing lines and high-throughput cleanrooms, processing exactly one clinical lot at a time to shield adjacent materials from ambient exposure.
Key Advantages
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Thermal Exposure Mitigation: Automated single-container retrieval mechanisms isolate transactions, preventing non-targeted innocent samples from undergoing transient warming events.
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Footprint Optimization: Maximizes vertical and physical facility space to enable ultra-high-density storage within a single consolidated footprint.
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Rigorous Integrity Control: Standardizes handling operations, eliminates physical operator exposure to cryogenic hazards, and enforces total chain-of-custody data verification.
Ideal Applications
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National biorepositories, global pharmaceutical research hubs, and large-scale genetic banks
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Commercial Cell & Gene Therapy (CGT) cleanrooms and advanced therapy manufacturing centers
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High-throughput clinical trial repositories and industrial master cell banks (MCB)
Robotic Automation & Labware Handling
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Insulating Tower Architecture: Internal engineering incorporates an insulated vertical handling tower that acts as a thermal barrier, maintaining internal sample temperatures even during vertical movement cycles.
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Single-Cassette Processing Core: The specialized Tera for Cassettes mechanics handle exactly one container element independently, ensuring adjacent packages remain undisturbed inside the baseline cryogenic environment during inventory management routines.
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High-Speed Execution Turnaround: Robotic container retrieval execution is completed in less than 60 seconds to secure continuous cold chain infrastructure continuity.
Integrated Software & Regulatory Compliance
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Integrated CryoArc Software Platform: Tracks individual sample location, sample movement parameters, and user access metrics across the sample’s operational lifetime.
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Real-Time Telemetry Logging: Captures critical environmental data, including internal temperature uniformity, unexpected system events, operational alarms, liquid nitrogen levels, and nominal LN2 usage rates.
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Enterprise LIMS Connectivity: Employs an optional WebAPI module to seamlessly integrate tracking telemetry with homegrown or enterprise Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS).
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Audit Trail Generation: Fully supports adherence to FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliance standards. All sample history, user validation logs, and performance parameters can be downloaded in a standardized format for immediate inclusion in official audit reports.
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Electronic Quarantine Controls: Software-enabled electronic quarantine functionality permits administrators to flag, isolate, and restrict access to specific containers within the automated framework.
Infrastructure Redundancy & Disaster Protection
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Extended Hold Time Stability: Provides up to 21 days (Standard Tera configuration) or up to 23 days (Specialized Cassette layout) of continuous static temperature stability to protect stored biological assets during total facility electrical outages or liquid nitrogen supply interruptions.
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Onboard Integrated UPS: Features an onboard uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to sustain the software storage environment, internal telemetry data collection, and system monitoring parameters during sudden power disruptions.
Technical Specifications
Storage Capacity (Standard Tera Layout): Accommodates 630 x 2” standard laboratory cryoboxes (or equivalent), supporting mix-and-match configurations of cryovials and cassettes
Storage Capacity (Specialized Cassette Layout): Configured to store up to 990 large 250ml scale cryo cassettes
Operating Temperature Baseline: -190°C (Liquid Nitrogen Vapor Phase environment)
Emergency Static Holding Time: 21 to 23 days to maintain a baseline of -135°C (configuration dependent)
System Physical Dimensions (H x W x D): 125.10″ x 60.00″ x 79.00″ (3,179 mm x 1,524 mm x 2,007 mm)
System Structural Weight (Standard Tera): 2,237 lbs (1,016 kg) Empty / 3,582 lbs (1,627 kg) Full Estimated Baseline
System Structural Weight (Cassette Layout): 2,231 lbs (1,054 kg) Empty / 3,441 lbs (1,563 kg) Full Estimated Baseline
Maximum Structural Floor Load (Standard Tera): 109 lbs/ft² (533 kg/m²)
Maximum Structural Floor Load (Cassette Layout): 105 lbs/ft² (512 kg/m²)
Electrical Input Parameters: 110V / 220V, Single Phase
System Power Consumption Metrics: 100 Watts (Idle) / 220 Watts (Maximum output)
LN2 Supply Line Interface: 1/2″ NPT Male Fitting to existing LN2 Supply Line
LN2 Operational Supply Pressure: 22-35 psig (1.52 – 2.41 bar) under open valve workflow
LN2 Evaporation Rate (Nominal): Approximately 13.6 Liters per day
Operating Environment Limits: Temperature: 18°C – 27°C (65°F – 80°F) | Humidity: Maximum 50% rH (non-condensing)
Regulatory & Compliance Index: CE Mark Directives, China RoHS, Conflict Materials, EU REACH, EU RoHS
CryoArc™ Deca -190°C LN2-Based Automated Storage System
The CryoArc™ Deca Automated LN2-Based Storage System is a medium-to-large automated biorepository platform engineered to safeguard fragile cellular structures and temperature-sensitive biological products. Optimized for institutional biobanks, biotechnology research environments, and clinical-scale biorepositories, the system integrates advanced robotics with comprehensive inventory control.
The system utilizes liquid nitrogen vapor phase technology to maintain a complete and uniform -190°C cryogenic storage environment across the entire internal chamber. By implementing computer-controlled robotic handling, it isolates non-targeted samples during routine retrieval sequences, protecting “innocent samples” from unintended transient warming events and hazardous thermal fluctuations above the water glass transition temperature (Tg -135°C).
Key Advantages
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Thermal Exposure Mitigation: Automated sample transactions minimize ambient exposure, shielding non-targeted cryovials from transient warming cycles.
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Footprint Optimization: Offers high internal storage capacity and mixed-labware density within a standardized facility floor space allotment.
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Rigorous Integrity Control: Delivers precise process control, automated structural insulation, and absolute chain-of-custody tracking for critical biological assets.
Ideal Applications
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Medium-to-large institutional biobanks and biorepositories
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Pharmaceutical and biotechnology research laboratories
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Clinical research facilities and centralized cell repositories
Robotic Automation & Labware Handling
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Convective Thermal Sleeve Engineering: The internal mechanics feature structural storage racks wrapped in an engineered insulating sleeve. This configuration blocks convective air currents during vertical rack lifts, keeping unrequested internal samples up to 20°C colder during routine box transactions compared to uninsulated tanks.
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Versatile Labware Accommodations: The automated robotic tower executes precise transactions at the box, SBS rack, and cassette level, supporting cryogenic storage cassettes up to 50 mL volumes.
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High-Speed Execution Turnaround: Box-level retrieval cycle execution is completed in less than 60 seconds to secure continuous cold chain infrastructure.
Integrated Software & Regulatory Compliance
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Integrated CryoArc Software Platform: Tracks individual sample location, sample movement parameters, and user access metrics across the sample’s operational lifetime.
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Real-Time Telemetry Logging: Captures critical environmental data, including internal temperature uniformity, unexpected system events, operational alarms, liquid nitrogen levels, and nominal LN2 usage rates.
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Enterprise LIMS Connectivity: Employs an optional WebAPI module to seamlessly integrate tracking telemetry with homegrown or enterprise Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS).
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Audit Trail Generation: Fully supports adherence to FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliance standards. All sample history, user validation logs, and performance parameters can be downloaded in a standardized format for immediate inclusion in official audit reports.
Infrastructure Redundancy & Disaster Protection
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Extended Hold Time Stability: Provides up to 15 days of continuous static temperature stability to protect stored biological assets during total facility electrical outages or liquid nitrogen supply interruptions.
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Onboard Integrated UPS: Features an onboard uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to sustain the software storage environment, internal telemetry data collection, and system monitoring parameters during sudden power disruptions.
Technical Specifications
Storage Capacity (Vials): Stores up to 52,136 x 1.0ml Azenta cryotubes OR 26,600 x 2.0ml Azenta cryotubes
Storage Capacity (Boxes/Cassettes): Accommodates 266 x 2” Cryoboxes (or equivalent), 1,520 x 25ml cassettes, OR 760 x 50ml cassettes
Operating Temperature Baseline: -190°C (Liquid Nitrogen Vapor Phase environment)
Emergency Static Holding Time: 15 days to maintain a baseline of -135°C
System Physical Dimensions (H x W x D): 107.9″ x 45.8″ x 58.9″ (2,741 mm x 1,163 mm x 1,496 mm)
System Structural Weight: 1,497 lbs (680 kg) Empty / 2,155 lbs (979 kg) Full Estimated Baseline
Maximum Structural Floor Load: 116 lbs/ft² (563 kg/m²)
Electrical Input Parameters: 110V / 220V, Single Phase
System Power Consumption Metrics: 100 Watts (Idle) / 220 Watts (Maximum output)
LN2 Supply Line Interface: 1/2″ NPT Male Fitting to existing LN2 Supply Line
LN2 Operational Supply Pressure: 22-35 psig (1.52 – 2.41 bar) under open valve workflow
LN2 Evaporation Rate (Nominal): Approximately 9.9 Liters per day
Operating Environment Limits: Temperature: 18°C – 27°C (65°F – 80°F) | Humidity: Maximum 50% rH (non-condensing)
Regulatory & Compliance Index: CE Mark Directives, China RoHS, Conflict Materials, EU REACH, EU RoHS
CryoArc™ Pico -190°C LN2-Based Automated Storage System
The CryoArc™ Pico Automated LN2-Based Storage System is engineered for automated cryogenic preservation of high-value biological samples from discovery phases through clinical applications. Designed to fit spaces with a standard 8-foot ceiling height and 32-inch doorways, the system delivers sample security and inventory management within a minimized physical footprint.
The system utilizes liquid nitrogen vapor phase technology to maintain a consistent and uniform -190°C storage temperature for stored samples from top to bottom. By utilizing automated storage and retrieval workflows, it allows users to access needed samples without exposing non-targeted materials to uncontrolled transient warming events or exposing staff to cryogenic dangers. This ensures precise process control and thermal stability during retrieval, keeping samples safely below the water glass transition temperature (Tg -135°C).
Key Advantages
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Thermal Exposure Mitigation: Automated sample access prevents innocent samples from undergoing transient warming events.
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Footprint Optimization: Maximizes internal labware density while passing through standard facility clearance pathways.
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Rigorous Integrity Control: Enhances sample protection and absolute traceability compared to manual cryogenic dewar freezers.
Ideal Applications
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Research laboratories and university biobanks
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Clinical cell banks and medical centers
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Cell & Gene Therapy (CGT) workflows and organoid research
Robotic Automation & Labware Handling
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Insulated Robotic Tower: Accommodates sample boxes from 1 to 7 inches tall or cryogenic cassettes. Laboratory units placed into the system are automatically delivered to user-specified or software-optimized storage positions.
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Granular Inventory Tracking: System inventory tracking is fully operational at the tube, cassette, and microplate level to ensure uncompromised chain-of-custody documentation.
Integrated Software & Regulatory Compliance
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Integrated CryoArc Software Platform: Tracks individual sample location, sample movement parameters, and user access metrics across the sample’s operational lifetime.
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Real-Time Telemetry Logging: Captures critical environmental data, including internal temperature uniformity, unexpected system events, operational alarms, liquid nitrogen levels, and nominal LN2 usage rates.
-
Enterprise LIMS Connectivity: Employs an optional WebAPI module to seamlessly integrate tracking telemetry with homegrown or enterprise Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS).
-
Audit Trail Generation: Fully supports adherence to FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliance standards. All sample history, user validation logs, and performance parameters can be downloaded in a standardized format for immediate inclusion in official audit reports.
Infrastructure Redundancy & Disaster Protection
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Extended Hold Time Stability: Provides up to 10 days of continuous static temperature stability to protect stored biological assets during total facility electrical outages or liquid nitrogen supply interruptions.
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Onboard Integrated UPS: Features an onboard uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to sustain the software storage environment, internal telemetry data collection, and system monitoring parameters during sudden power disruptions.
Technical Specifications
Storage Capacity (Vials): Stores up to 17,248 x 1.0ml Azenta cryotubes OR 8,800 x 2.0ml Azenta cryotubes
Storage Capacity (Boxes/Cassettes): Accommodates (88) 2” Cryoboxes (or equivalent) OR 400 x 25ml cassettes
Operating Temperature Baseline: -190°C (Liquid Nitrogen Vapor Phase environment)
Emergency Static Holding Time: 10 days to maintain a baseline of -135°C
System Physical Dimensions (H x W x D): 95.5″ x 42.7″ x 56.8″ (2,426 mm x 1,085 mm x 1,443 mm)
System Structural Weight: 1,122 lbs (511 kg) Empty / 1,402 lbs (640 kg) Full Estimated Baseline
Maximum Structural Floor Load: 84 lbs/ft² (410 kg/m²)
Electrical Input Parameters: 110V / 220V, Single Phase
System Power Consumption Metrics: 100 Watts (Idle) / 220 Watts (Maximum output)
LN2 Supply Line Interface: 1/2″ NPT Male Fitting to existing LN2 Supply Line
LN2 Operational Supply Pressure: 22-35 psig (1.52 – 2.41 bar) under open valve workflow
LN2 Evaporation Rate (Nominal): Approximately 9 Liters per day
Operating Environment Limits: Temperature: 18°C – 27°C (65°F – 80°F) | Humidity: Maximum 50% rH (non-condensing)
Regulatory & Compliance Index: CE Mark Directives, China RoHS, Conflict Materials, EU REACH, EU RoHS
SBP Research Kit Capsules
Encapsulate your own microbial culture in a Ready to Use bioreactor for research applications
Ready to use bioreactors, effectively support microorganism growth and proliferation in aquatic mediums and water saturated ground.
The highly affordable SBP Research Kit is changing how experiments are done in research laboratories.
SBP Research Kit capsules are shipped sterile & can be populated with various types of microorganisms including bacteria, archaea, yeast and other types of fungi. Population is completed within minutes.
