BioSorter

BioSorter Accessory Modules

A variety of optional modules are available to add specific enhanced capabilities to your BioSorter system including choices of lasers, larger sample cups and an auto-sampler.

FOCAs (Fluidic and Optics Core Assemblies)

Depending on your application(s) you can choose from a range of FOCAs including 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 micron as well as metal-free. For more details please see the main BioSorter pages above.

Fig 1 – interchangeable Fluidic and Optics Core Assemblies – FOCAs.

Laser Choices

BioSorter can accommodate up to four excitation lasers. The 488nm is standard but many customers also add a 405nm, 445nm, 561nm, 640nm or 660nm laser. Please inquire if your research requires a different excitation wavelength. These lasers can either be added as part of the initial factory build or later as a field upgrade.

Fig 2 – Laser choices

Sample Cups

Samples are introduced via a standard 50 ml conical tube (40 ml working volume) with suspended stirrer. For larger samples optional 750 ml and 1500 ml stirred sample cups are available.

Fig 3 – Stirred sample cups

LP Sampler™ (Large Particle Sampler)

The LP Sampler is the only automated sample introduction system designed specifically for gentle handling of large, fragile objects such as.

  • delicate cells/clusters (stem cell clusters, neurospheres, tumor spheroids)
  • viable small multicellular model organisms (nematodes, Drosophila, zebrafish larvae)
  • beads used as micro-carriers for clonal libraries
  • seeds and fragile plant tissue

Fig 4 – LP Sampler

This autosampler is ideal for objects ranging from 10 to 1500 microns in diameter. It is capable of gently aspirating those samples from multiwell plates or a petri dish and delivering them intact to Union Biometrica’s COPAS FP™ BioSorter® or VAST BioImager™ systems. It has the flexibility to handle a variety of standard or deep well plates including 24, 96 and 384.

Rotating Sample Chamber

The Rotating Sample Introduction Chamber gently agitates samples without using mechanical stirring.  Both 5 mL and 10 mL sample chambers are included. Use on a BioSorter instrument with either a 250 or 500 µm FOCA.  The Rotating Sample Chamber is designed specifically for

  • handling extremely delicate samples (adipocytes, plant protoplasts, etc.)
  • samples that tend to either float or sink in a sample cup with normal stirring-type agitation. Chamber can be used with 250 & 500 micron flow cells / FOCAs (order separately).

Typical use with a mouse adipocyte preparation enables analyzing 100 objects/second and dispensing intact adipocytes constituting 10% of the preparation.

Fig 5 – Rotating sample cup for fragile samples and samples that float or sink