Introduction
Challenging demands are placed on consumables used in automated applications, especially when focusing on avoiding sample loss or providing reproducible experimental conditions. In this Technical Report, we have compared deepwell plates in 96 well as well as 384 well format from different manufacturers, with a focus on residual volume following sample recovery using the pipetting system epMotion®. Superior quality in both plate design and manufacturing of the Eppendorf Deepwell Plates is demonstrated by minimal residual volume of solution remaining in the well. Furthermore, the amount of liquid is nearly identical in each well.
Whenever valuable samples or expensive reagents are being used, minimization of sample loss becomes important. One contributing factor is the quantitative volume recovery from tubes and plates. Deepwell plates, and especially deepwell plates of the 384 well format, are almost exclusively used in automated settings. While manual pipetting allows controlled and nearly complete sample aspiration, for technical reasons this is not possible to the same extent during automated applications: A minimum safety distance between the tips of the pipetting system and the well bottom is necessary in order to prevent the tip from coming into contact with the well surface. The exact distance required is a function of geometry and the production tolerance of the wells and tips, as well as the tolerance of the cones of the instrument’s dispensing tools. Since all these factors play into the theoretical residual volume remaining inside the wells, a short safety distance is advantageous. Therefore, precise movements of the pipetting system, as well as minimal production tolerance of both tips and plates, are necessary prerequisites. Further, the uniform level of all plates plays a critical role; i.e. all well bottoms must be in the exact same plane.The Eppendorf Deepwell Plates are distinguished by their functional design, including conformity to all applicable SBS standards* and excellent production quality, a combination which results in plates that are highly homogenous and robust. Hence these plates are extremely stable during mixing and centrifugation (g-safe®) [1]. The colored frame featuring high contrast laser-engraving, the OptiTrack® matrix, makes the alpha numerical labeling easy-to-read. The RecoverMax® well design featuring rounded edges and conical bottoms enables residual liquids to flow effectively towards the center of the bottom, where they can be removed with ease [2]. For the purpose of this technical report, the automatic pipetting system Eppendorf epMotion 5070 was used to remove a photometrically detectable solution from deepwell plates by Eppendorf, as well as by other manufacturers, as completely as possible. In order to compare the different plates, the liquid remaining inside each individual well was quantified using a photometer.
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