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.
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
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