www.bioscienceworld.ca Laboratory Focus
January 2012
Shin-Etsu Silicones Shin-Etsu Silicones of America’s newest HCR (High Consistency Rubber) product line – Sil-XShin™ Silicone Elastomers are specifically engineered for extruded tubing and profiles. SilX-Shin Silicone Elastomers are available in a wide range of Shore A Hardness from 30 to 80 and come in a convenient 10:1 ratio of base compound to catalyst. The most unique advantage of the Sil-XShin product line is that one universal catalyst can be used with each of the six bases, providing ultimate flexibility. The Sil-X-Shin series has a single, universal catalyst that cures any of the six bases with less than 10 per cent of the composition. Sil-X-Shin Silicone Elastomers are USP Class VI compliant, and their platinum, addition-cure chemistry produces a tight surface finish with few residual by-products.
www.shinetsu.co.jp
Batch Controller The new Mettler Toledo IND780 stand-alone batch controller combines advanced batching control technology while adhering to the ISA SP-88 Batch Standard. The IND780 batch optimizes batch processes with consistent, accurate material transfers, to minimize material waste and improve batch quality. The flexible stand-alone terminal can be used for single or multi-scale batching applications. With the IND780 batch, users can take control of manual processes with dependable recipe management and the ability to handle 999 materials. Tolerance checking, material identification via bar-code input, and operator prompting all help to ensure the operator is guided through each batch.Multi-material automatic batching control handles up to 28 automatic materials with recipespecific control, including conditional control tasks, go-to commands, recipe re-scaling, timing functions, and control of discrete inputs and outputs to allow the controller to interact with other equipment in the process.
www.mt.com
Slide Imaging System PerkinElmer Inc. launches the VectraTM 2 automated slide imaging system, a turnkey platform that allows true walk-away batch processing of up to 200 tissue sections at a time. Additionally, the Vectra™ 2 addresses the need of scientists focused on biomarker research, pharmaceutical development, clinical research and tissue application test development for validated tissue labeling and automated scoring methodology. The new platform adds HistoRX’s AQUA® technology to Vectra’s unique multispectral and image analysis capabilities. Its unique multispectral capabilities, coupled with the powerful image analysis tool inFormTM, can be used to explore even the most demanding of today’s tissue analysis problems, from multi-analyte in situ cytometric analysis and cell phenotyping to stereology-like analyses of tissue disease states. The technology provides greater than 97 per cent interand intra-assay coefficient of variation, giving researchers assurance in the quality of their results. The system supports both tissue sections and tissue microarrays (TMAs) with ease and offers a slide hotel for batch scanning of up to 200 slides. The Vectra platform is empowered by the same multispectral imaging technology that drives over 400 NuanceTM cameras sold to date, giving researchers the ability to analyze multiple fluors/chromagens in a sample, quantifying each separately and accurately.
www.perkinelmer.com
NEW PRODUCTS Vessels The Thermo Scientific CryoExtra™ vacuum-insulated, stainless steel vessels are available in four different sizes, from 407 litres to 1,630 litres, accommodating both vapour and liquid-phase storage. These containers minimize top-to-bottom temperature variation, preserving the integrity of critical cryogenically frozen samples. Its innovative lid and neck design, combined with advanced temperature monitoring, reduce temperature fluctuations that occur due to lid openings. Furthermore, the microprocessor-based LN2 level control ensures that liquid nitrogen levels are tightly controlled, and the de-fog function allows easy, pushbutton sample identification.With the ability to store up to 90,000 1.2 – 2.0 mL vials, the largest of the four CryoExtra models (1,630 liter) has the same external footprint as the 1,350 liter unit. All four CryoExtra containers can accommodate both vertical and horizontal racks, and the Thermo Scientific racking solutions are specifically designed for this vessel configuration, further maximizing capacity.
www.thermoscientific.com
MILLIPLEX® MAP kit EMD Millipore launches three MILLIPLEX® MAP kits for cellular metabolism. Based on the Luminex® xMAP® assay technology platform and cellular metabolism antibodies from MitoSciences®, the MILLIPLEX® MAP kits enable fast, sensitive, simultaneous quantification of multiple cellular metabolism biomarkers involved in fatty acid oxidation and the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Each kit provides highly validated and characterized cellular metabolism immunoassay antibodies, all necessary reagents, and optimized protocols.
www.emdmillipore.com
Ultracentrifuges New Optima X Series preparative ultracentrifuges from Beckman Coulter, Inc. incorporate an array of contemporary technical features to enhance the user experience and increase productivity. With a large touchscreen display, the Optima X Series product offers a selection of nine languages while real-time graphing plots speed and temperature over time as a run progresses. Enhanced remote control capabilities allow the ultracentrifuges to be monitored from a personal computer or a smart phone. When powered on but not running, the unit requires the same energy as a 60-watt incandescent bulb, further increasing energy efficiency. Optima X Series ultracentrifuges reach a maximum speed of 100,000 rpm and generate forces up to 802,000 x g. Optima X Series instruments are available in two models – the XE, which delivers all of the basic features required to quickly set up and complete a run, and the XPN, which includes all features of the XE plus networking capability, on-board simulation tools and a variety of customizable security and tracking features. The XE is available in 90,000 and 100,000 rpm configurations, while the XPN is offered in 80,000, 90,000 and 100,000 rpm configurations.
www.beckmancoulter.com
15
