BioTray - NanoPrint

Description

With more than 300 installations in the world, NanoPrint is the currently most used microarrayer.
Nanoprint is fully automated and programmable ; it uses an advanced linear servo-motor technology that achieves a resolution of 500 nm in X,Y directions and 250 nm in Z axis with a nanometer scale positional accuracy as a result.
NanoPrint combines an accurate humidity and temperature control system with a user friendly software that make it a comprehensive and highly effective solution to print microarray with any kind of biomolecules for research and diagnostic applications.

Dehumidification is an option available at an extra cost and is highly recommended for users who wish to operate their systems in humid environments.NanoPrint has a capacity of three 384-well sample microplates printing onto up to 60 standard glass slide substrates. Worktables for printing into microplates, plate size glass, 1"x3" slides and any other micro-fluidic biochip formats are available too. NanoPrint™ systems offers sophisticated microplate cooling via Peltier positioned under the microplates.

Pins material is compatible with any biological material: DNA, proteins, antibodies, small molecules, peptide nucleic acide (PNA), carbohydrates, and many other samples. These pins are based on ArrayIt proprietary engineering and surface chemistry technologies protected by United States Patent 6,101,946 ; this design leads to highly efficient printing, and durability out to millions of printing cycles. BioTray provides 3 main types of pins accordig to the seeked result. Nanoprint exists in two formats : NanoPrint LM60 with a capacity of three 384-well sample microplates printing onto 60 standard glass slide substrates and NanoPrint LM210 with a capacity of three 384-well sample microplates printing onto 210 standard glass slide substrates. A special proteins version also exists in both LM60 and LM210 edition.

For futher information please look at the Specification tab.

Specifications

General Specifications

Dimensions (L x P x H, cm)	LM60 (110 x 85 x 56 cm) LM120 (164 x 85 x 56 cm)
Weight	LM60 (150 Kg), LM120 (200 Kg)
Positional resolution (X,Y-Axis)	500 nanometers
Printing speed	48 spots per second or 192 Spots second according to the pins and printhead technology
Printing technology	Arrayit Pro, 946 or Stealth pins and printheads
Number of pins	Configurable 1 to 48 at 4.5 mm centers or 1 to 192 at 2.25mm
Spot diameter	65 microns or larger to meet all applications
Minimum spot spacing	50 microns
Pre-printing	User definable
Wash/dry station	Ultrasonic with 2 wash positions and a dry station
Number of microplates	Three standard 384-well sample microplates, customizable on the worktable Microplates to be printed into : - 15 96-wells microplates (LM60) - 45 96-wells microplates (LM120)
Number of slides	60 glass slide substrates (LM60) 120 glass slide substrates (LM120)
Microplate cooling	Cool 1-3 microplates with a Peltier system, for protein microarray applications
Environment control	Fully enclosed, HEPA filtration and user-defined humidity control

NanoPrint™ uses 3 linear drives for X, Y and Z axis positioning combined with a proprietary linear drive motion control technology for superior positional resolution and accuracy
The X, Y - axis positional resolution is 500 nm.
The high speed, high precision linear servo control system of the NanoPrint™ produces superior instrument performance that is essentially free of friction, noise and thermal emission.

NanoPrint™ uses a Z-axis encoder reading at 250-nanometers resolution leading to a superior Z-Axis Resolution for Optimum Spot Morphology.
NanoPrint™ offers highly precise resolution, repeatability and computer control over the speed and acceleration settings to ensure optimal printing onto any surface taking into account the biological samples to be printed.
Optimal parameters are set at the factory but can be easily changed by the user for printing onto many different surfaces with different samples. The user gets a license to be allowed to use this patented technology.

The figure above shows 3 Z-Axis moves to configure ; distance, speed and acceleration are the parameters to set :

Z Profile: High speed
Z Extend: Printing speed
Z Retract: Quick return


Fig.1	Fig.2

Fig.1: this picture shows three 348-wells microplates, the wash/dry module with sonicator (upper part of the picture) and the printhead and pins printing onto glass substrates (middle left). NanoPrint™ deck is configured in a module manner, allowing different worktables to be inserted and removed from the deck allowing users to easily switch between different printing applications such as glass substrates, microplates, and proprietary cassettes and cartridges or other types of substrates.

Fig.2: NanoPrint™ is equipped with a Pin Cleaning Module that has a station providing pin washing, drying and sonication (downwards). The sonicator is filled and emptied during the print run in a completely automated manner.Systems sensors prevent splashing and overflowing for pin and deck safety. Drying is accomplished by vacuum using a quiet but powerful ACM-controlled (Accessory Module Control) function. The Pin Cleaning Module is rugged, durable and easy to maintain.


Fig.3	Fig.4

Fig.3: Here the deck is configured with a capacity of three 384-well sample microplates printing onto 60 standard glass slide substrates using a printhead loaded with 48 pins. A 192-pin printhead can also be used instead of the 48-pin printhead.

Fig.4: The screenshot shows a worktable allowing printing into 15 microplates (96-well) for the NanoPrint™ LM60. On the left part, three 348-well sample microplates with the pin cleaning module (wash/dry station with sonicator) can be seen.


Fig.5	Fig.6

Fig.5: The ACM (Accessory Control Module) unit provides computer control for the wash/dry, humidity, and ultrasonication stations on the deck of the NanoPrint™. Accurate sensing of the humidity inside the chamber assures that proper humidity levels are achieved and maintained during the entire duration of each print run. Humidity is maintained in a user-specified manner of ±1%. HEPA filtration protect the deck from dust to assure the necessary printing quality. Printing onto the worktables and control of the Pin Cleaning Module and the humidity are easily specified in software using the Microarray Manager.

Fig.6: Easy connectivity (pump, tubing and connectors) between the ACM and the robot provides proper humidity and tigthness levels.


Fig.7: Humidity Sensing	Fig.8: Peltier system

Fig.7: A RH sensor monitors the humidity inside the chamber with high accuracy.Together with the ACM, it assures that proper humidity levels are achieved and maintained during the entire duration of each print run.
The humidification and dehumidification systems are triggered by the RH sensor that automatically maintain the levels set by the user.

Fig.8: NanoPrint™ systems offer sophisticated sample microplates cooling via Peltier s an affordable and highly recommended option in order to minimize sample evaporation during printing. Microplate cooling is highly recommended for protein microarray applications to minimize protein denaturation and microbial growth in recombinant protein samples. The Peltier module fits directly beneath the 348-well sample microplate for highly efficient cooling while maintaining a low deck profile.

Software

Microarray Manager Software

The Microarray Manager Software combines unparalleled power and simplicity in a graphical user interface.
Microarray manufacturing parameters including the number of pins, substrates, spots, technical replicates, printing pattern, worktable, printing offsets, speed, acceleration, and many other technical aspects are completely controllable by the operator via an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI). The NanoPrint™ Microarray Manager Software allows users to write completely customized printing routines in minutes.

Fig.1

Fig.1: The screenshot shows a worktable allowing printing into 15 microplates (96-well) or 60 glass slides for the NanoPrint™ LM60, 120 to 210 glass slides for the NanoPrint™ LM120 and the NanoPrint™ LM210. On the left part, three 348-well sample microplates with the pin cleaning module (wash/dry station with sonicator) can be seen.

Software features include:

A Method Creation Wizard
Complete sample tracking & GAL file generation
Unlimited custom microarray print designs
User defined speed and wash protocols
Automatic Method Validation
Runtime sample and spotting views as well as a Simulation Mode
Support of input and output data files using GAL Wizard
Easy to use graphical Re-Print Wizard

Fig.2

Fig.2: The Microarray Print Design Editor allows the user to create an unlimited number of microarray printing routines to be saved and shared between methods. The editor includes a preview that shows the print designs obtained for a given number and pattern of Pro, 946 and Stealth printing pins.

	Fig.3: The Sample Sequence Editor provides the user the capability to select the sample microwell positions and sample order for each individual source microplate. Source files can be associated with the sample sequence to provide Names and IDs for individual well locations.
Fig.3: Sample Sequence Editor

Pins & Printhead

Printheads:

NanoPrint™ offers several Printhead Design. The user can run from 1 to 48 pins or from 1 to 192 pins according to the chosen Pin Configurations.
These printing devices are covered under US Patent 6,101,946

Fig.2: NanoPrint™ offers a 192 Pin configuration that allows the user to run from 1 to 192 pins at 2.25 mm center to center spacing to pickup samples from 1536 well plates. This printhead as the same fast and easy attachment system and it is designed to hold up to microarray printing pins of the Professional, 946 or Stealth series as well.
Printing time: 4 times faster than 48 Pin Configuration.

Fig.2

Printing Pins:

NanoPrint™ can use three printing pins series (Professional, 946 technologies, Stealth).Every pins can be used with the following biological material: cDNA, Proteins, antibodies, small molecules, PNA (Peptide Nucleic Acid), carbohydrate and many other kind of samples

.

Printing mechanism is contact printing by a gentle surface contact between the pin and the surface. Printing occurs as a simple 3-step "ink-stamping" process as follows: (left) downstroke, (center) contact, and (right) upstroke.
Z axis acceleration: 30 cm/sec2
Z axis velocity: 7.5-20 mm/sec
Z axis travel (surface = 0): +0.5-1.0 mm
Sample (blue) taking is done by capillary action. The pins have flat tips and defined uptake channels, which allows a thin (25 µm) layer of sample to form at the end of the pin, and proceed to printing by gentle surface contact. Pins are attached to the printhead with a free Z-axis movement to avoid any hard contact that might damage the pin.
ArrayIt Corporation offers a wide range of pins according to biological samples and surfaces to print, spot diameters, number of spot per loading...

ArrayIt Professionnal

Pro Series pins are constructed from Arrayit's proprietary RM101 alloy, which is 10- times more durable than stainless steel, ensuring 10 million printing cycles and faster printing speeds. Arrayit Professional Pins are used in the most demanding microarray manufacturing applications, in leading core facilities, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, academic centers, government agencies, and diagnostic testing laboratories.

Fig.4: ArrayIt Professional

Fig.5: Série 946

946 Serie

946 product line and technology, have become a nearly universal standard for DNA and protein microarray manufacture. The 946 style Pins have the added benefit of allowing Pin loading and removal by inserting the Pin tool (946PT) into any of the 4 access ports in the 946 extended collars. This prevent pins damage. 60 pins with different tip dimensions and channel sizes are available according to following parameters : spot diameter, sample uptake volume; sample delivery volume; number of spots per loading...

Please contact us for further information.

Stealth Serie

	There are 3 different Stealth Pins for superior durability and precisions. The Pins provide different size and design of uptake channels according to the spot diameter and the volume to print. LThe total number of individual laboratories using Stealth technology is estimated at >5,000. The spotting pins have an low uptake volume (2,5 µl of sample) providing up to 400 spots per loading.
Fig.6: Stealth Serie

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