Buffer removal with INTEGRA's portable aspiration system improves safety and ease of COVID-19 ELISA testing
11 Jun 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the development of a number of novel RT-PCR based tests to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus in patients. As the situation has progressed, there is now a need for serology tests to evaluate the immune response of patients, as well as to assess immunity in the general population. These immunoassays are critical to allow movement restrictions to be eased and prevent a second peak in infections.
SARS-CoV-2 ELISA tests
Most serological tests are based on sandwich ELISA techniques to detect antibodies against the virus in patients that have recovered from COVID-19. The protocols for these ELISAs require several aspiration steps to remove buffers after incubation and washing, and the safest way to perform this is using an instrument such as INTEGRA's VACUSIP portable aspiration system.
Why use an aspiration system?
There are many advantages to using an aspiration system to remove buffers from samples, especially for 96 well plate formats, where there are multiple wells to process. These include:
Safer, faster and more convenient waste removal than with a multichannel pipette
Aspirated liquid waste goes directly into the collection bottle, avoiding the risk of spillages or exposure to biohazardous waste during unnecessary liquid transfer
Pooled waste can be safely and easily autoclaved, chemically deactivated, or transferred to a larger container
Highlights include:
- Simple to operate – consistent and reliable processing of even small liquid volumes via pressure-controlled hand operation
- Ready to use – an out-of-the-box solution with integrated silent vacuum pump and optional rechargeable battery
- Compact design – with a small footprint and minimal cables/tubing, ensuring it fits onto any bench or into any safety cabinet
- Safe to use – with a hydrophobic filter to protect against contamination, and a fully autoclavable liquid path for easy decontamination
- A choice of waste containers – including single-use PP and reusable glass bottles
- Adaptable to your needs – with a large choice of adapters, including 8 channel adapters for 96 well plates
Why choose the VACUSIP?
The VACUSIP is a convenient and affordable tool for liquid waste removal, helping to increase productivity for ELISA workflows. Its flexibility, ease of use and portability mean that it can be used in a variety of other biochemical and cell-based methods, from high throughput screening and immunofluorescence studies to cell viability and virus entry inhibition assays. Ultimately, the VACUSIP portable aspiration system can be used by anyone, anywhere, speeding up workflows and supporting a range of applications in the fight against COVID-19.
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VACUSIP - Benchtop Aspiration System
INTEGRA BiosciencesVACUSIP – Liquid waste gone in a sip In the laboratory small volumes of liquid need be disposed of on a daily basis. This includes the removal of excess liquids from reaction tubes, aspiration of supernatant after centrifugation steps, removal of washing solutions from microplates and much more. Until today, this is often accomplished by self-made systems. VACUSIP provides an out-of-the-box solution for the wide array of liquid waste disposal tasks carried out at the laboratory bench. It features a reliable low noise pump, enabling it to operate independently from an external vacuum source. The battery version of VACUSIP contains a rechargeable battery for even more flexibility. A unique hand operator allows a fine regulation of the aspiration flow and accepts a variety of adapters. The 0.5 l glass bottle is quickly exchanged and all components coming in contact with liquids can be autoclaved. If the inactivation of the liquid waste is carried out externally, a disposable bottle may be used. Features and benefits: • Integrated, silent pump makes the VACUSIP location-independent. • The battery version eliminates cable mess in a laminar flow hood and increases mobility. • Automated pump shut-off optimizes battery run-time and pump life. • Quick exchange of waste bottle due to screw cap sealing. • Hydrophobic filter prevents aerosols and liquid from entering the system. • Very compact and space saving, HxWxD: 345x120x162 mm only. • No additional equipment necessary and maintenance free