The RapidPick Harvester™ can be used for selecting fungal samples, identifying and sampling cellular clusters and for taking sample plugs out of gels. It also enables users to perform ordinary pipetting tasks, such as reformatting plates and transferring liquids among plates.

Fungal Samples

Equipped with its own high-resolution digital camera, the Harvester captures images of petri dishes or omnitrays containing fungal samples. These images are presented to the user to select where a sample should be harvested and transferred to a media-filled microplate well.

Users can, in the comfort of their own office, review these images and select locations with a point-and-click selection utility. The Harvester will automatically retrieve a fungal sample from each selected location and transfer it to a microplate for isolated outgrowth. If the system is using barcoded omnitrays and employs Hudson’s PlateCrane robot to load and unload the samples trays, these images can be queued for later review and plug selection. Then, they can be re-positioned by the robot back onto the Harvester’s deck for automated plug retrieval into the destination microplate(s).

The video below shows this version of the Harvester in action:

Cellular Samples

The RapidPick Harvester can be joined with cellular imagers, such as Brooks Automation’s Celligo™ imaging cytometer, to pick samples from microplate wells that have been imaged by that instrument. It does this by using the barcode ID of the plate, captured by the imager, then interprets the imager instrument’s output file for that plate. The Harvester can then accurately transform the location coordinates of selected cells, from the imager’s file, directly into coordinates on the Harvester’s deck to provide precise, complete picking of the identified cells.

Plugs from Gels

The Harvester can also serve as a fully-automated, single-tip colony picker, which can extract pin-sample or full plugs of gel-based microbial colonies. The Harvester uses disposable pipette tips, so there is no delay for cleaning and sterilization. Yet, each sample is fully isolated.

Fungal, Yeast, Stem Cell, Bacterial Colony Picking

Microbiome/Microbiota Research

Protein Expression & Purification

Synthetic Biology

The RapidPick Harvester^TM provides all the advanced features that researchers need to make harvesting fungal and microbial samples intuitive and easy:

• Fully-automated sample selection and picking
• Manual-override selection prior to picking
• Multiple image collection and analysis methods
• Compatible with third-party cell imaging instruments
• Includes email notification and remote operation
• Archives images over time, for growth tracking
• Harvests samples in both agar and liquid media
• Uses sterile, barrier pipette tips to prevent cross-contamination
• Offers full automation capability with plate-handling by Hudson’s PlateCrane
• Includes the full pipetting features of a single-tip robotic pipettor
• Plate reformatting is a standard feature
• Easy-to-use operator screens
• Intuitive menus and graphical interfaces

Plate Capacity: 4 to 6 positions; up to 150 plates with optional PlateCrane accessory.

Plate Format: SBS standard footprint, any well configuration, or 4-inch Petri dish

Construction

Pipettor/picker unit: Stainless main deck; powder-coated steel upper arm covers over machined aluminum structural components;

Enclosure: Anodized aluminum frame, with Lexan sliding access doors.

Spill Protection : All electronics protected by solid, non-penetrated cover to prevent any leakage onto electrical devices

Arm Mechanism: Horizontal Travel/Vertical Stroke: x=22.5″; y=9.3″; z=4.0″

Size :

Pipettor/picker unit: 24.0″ x 29.5″ x 19.5″ (H x W x D)

Enclosure: 36″ x 60.0″ x 33.0″ (H x W x D)

Weight : 50lbs; ~120lbs. w/ enclosure; ~165lbs. w/ PlateCrane

Power Requirements: 120-240 VAC, 50-60Hz, 2Amps Max at 120

Computer Interface: RS-232 serial cable