Instrumentation
An X-tractor Gene consists of a bench top robotic workstation and an under bench vacuum/waste station. They connect via serial cable and a single silicon vacuum tube. The system is controlled by PC software from a desktop or laptop computer.

Bench Top Unit
All sample processing is done under a closed translucent hood to ensure user safety and reduce any risk of cross contamination. The instrument will stop when it senses the hood has been lifted and resume when it closes again. Waste tips are ejected from a chute on the left hand side and are collected in a suitable waste receptacle (not shown).

The robot arm moves an 8-channel pipetting head across the work surface (deck) at high speed. This head arrangement minimizes run time and allows samples to be processed in blocks of 8. You can choose to process as few as 8 samples or multiples thereof (in columns) up to a full 96.

A dual position vacuum manifold moves the 96-well capture plate between a vacuum-to-waste and a vacuum-to-elute position, as required. In the waste position, all liquids in the capture plate are collected into an external waste bottle. In the elute position, the final prepared nucleic acid is collected into separate tubes in a 96-well cluster plate.

Under Bench Vacuum Waste Station
The vacuum station is a consolidated unit housing a powerful DC pump and a large (4 L) waste bottle. The DC pump design is low-noise and speeds and slows as required (unlike common AC designs) to further reduce noise. A sensor ensures the waste bottle cannot overfill (the software pauses the run if full limit is detected). A replaceable PolyCap filter protects the pump and a carbon-filter purifies waste air. Waste air can be routed with silicon tubing to a room vent or fume hood if required. Quality snap-lock couplings make setup and service easy and secure.

UV Light Sterilization
An optional UV light system automates sterilization of deck surfaces between runs. To ensure light reaches all areas, the robot arm is programmed to move during the procedure so that it casts no permanent shadow. The time of irradiation can also be adjusted.

HEPA Filter
An optional High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter provides positive clean air pressure within the closed hood. Air filtration is important for some applications (for example where fungal spores are problematic) but as with any air filter system, it cannot prevent amplicon contamination in a post-PCR liquid handling environment. The system uses disposable filter cartridges that can be changed in seconds.