Liquid-handling heads

About this topic

The Bravo Platform uses interchangeable liquid-handling heads. This topic describes the disposable-tip heads.

The Bravo 96AM Head is designed for running protocols that use the AssayMAP Bravo cartridges. For details on the Bravo 96AM Head, see the AssayMAP Bravo Platform Getting Started Guide.

The Bravo Platform can also mount a variety of pin tools for performing low-volume transfers of fixed volumes. Contact your Agilent customer representative for details.

Disposable-tip heads

Disposable-tip heads allow you to change pipette tips during a run to prevent cross-contamination. The following table lists the disposable-tip heads available for the Bravo Platform.

 

Head type (Series III)	Max volume	Dispense into…
96LT	250 µL	96-well, 384-well microplates; single column (8 wells) or row (12 wells)
96ST	70 µL	96-well, 384-well, 1536-well microplates; single column (8 wells) or row (12 wells)
384ST	70 µL	384-well, 1536-well microplates; single column (16 wells) or row (24 wells)

The 96- and 384-barrel heads can dispense fluid into all the wells in a microplate simultaneously or into a single column, single row, or single well in the microplate.

The 96LT head use large transfer (LT) tips to dispense up to 250 µL per well. The 96ST and 384ST heads use small transfer (ST) tips to dispense up to 70 µL per well.

 

The microplate compatibility and maximum volume for a given head is dependent on the pipette tip, for example, the ST 70 µL tip is not compatible with a 1536-well microplate. For more details on the tips available for each type of head, go to http://www.agilent.com/en-us/products/automation-solutions/automated-liquid-handling/disposable-pipette-tips.

 

Figure. 384-well disposable-tip head

 

Serial dilution capabilities

You can use the 96- and 384-barrel heads for serial dilution tasks to dispense fluid into single columns or single rows of a microplate. You do not need to change heads during the task.

Note: When using the disposable-tip heads in serial-dilution mode, certain deck locations are not accessible. For more details on serial dilution, see the VWorks Automation Control User Guide.

Controlling the liquid-handling head

You use the VWorks software to control the disposable-tip heads and pin tools for performing such tasks as:

•	Calibrating volumes

•	Controlling pipette speed

•	Enabling tip touching

•	Enabling dynamic tip extension and retraction

Related information

 

For more information about...	See...
Removing one liquid-handling head and mounting a different head	Changing the Bravo head
Bravo 96AM Head for AssayMAP applications	AssayMAP Bravo Platform Getting Started Guide