Product News: Tecan Offers Revolutionary Transfer Tool for Automated Nested LiHa Disposable Tip Handling

Tecan has introduced an innovative new consumable device offering increased throughput and capacity for Freedom EVO® workstations. The patent pending Disposable Transfer Tool is designed for use with Tecan’s Nested LiHa disposable tips, and offers fully automated handling of empty tip trays without the need for a gripper.

Nested LiHa disposable tips offer increased worktable capacity for tip storage, allowing five trays of 350 μl tips to be stacked on a single SLAS-format carrier position. Until now, this solution has only been available for instruments equipped with a Robotic Manipulator Arm or a MultiChannel Arm™ gripper option to remove empty tip trays. Tecan has overcome this by developing an innovative consumable device – the Disposable Transfer Tool – that allows the Freedom EVO’s Liquid Handling (LiHa) or Air LiHa Arm to pick up and dispose of empty trays.

Implementation of the Disposable Transfer Tool is designed to be as easy as possible using Freedom EVOware® (v2.6 SP1 onwards). The only additional hardware required is a 16-position Transfer Tool Holder, which can be quickly and easily filled by hand prior to beginning a series of runs. This elegant solution is particularly suited to smaller Freedom EVO workstations – where workdeck space is limited – boosting capacity without a significant capital investment. It also offers benefits for larger systems, allowing the gripper to perform other operations while the LiHa Arm disposes of empty trays, improving productivity and functionality for high throughput applications.