V&P Scientific Magnetic Replicators coupled with the Magnetic Stirrer Pickup and Unloading System provide a simple and efficient method of sterilely removing tumble stirrers from microplates.

The VP 770 Pickup Magnet Plate is used to stand the stirrers up on its south pole and provide the magnetic field for the Magnetic Replicators.  When the magnetic pins of the VP 408M Replicator contacts the stirrers, the stirrers attach themselves to the pins and can be lifted from the wells.

Once removed from the wells they are easily unloaded by passing over the VP 770 Unloading Magnet that has both a powerful north and south pole facing up. 

By moving the Replicator back and forth between the north and south poles the stirrers fall off the Replicator pins as they attempt to reverse polarity and are captured on a tray that sits on top of the VP 770 Unloading Magnet.  The tray is then removed and the stirrers are decanted, demagnetized (using the VP 781 Demagnetizer), washed, sterilized and reused. 
 

The VP 481M is constructed with 48 Magnetic stainless steel pins in an anodized aluminum base. Compatible with Griener ____Falcon # 3078 and Costar  48 well plates. Although designed to remove stir elements from 48 well microplates, the pins will also transfer ~1 ul liquid to liquid, and ~0.2 ul liquid to membrane (hanging drop). Pin diameter = 1.58mm, pin length = 21.8mm, center to center spacing = 13 mm

Check the center to center spacing on your plate very carefully as this varies between manufacturers.  Also the location of the matrix varies between manufacturers.  Nunc and Corning 48 well plates are on 13.5 mm centers.
 

If you have a lot of microplates that you wish to unload rapidly, we offer the V&P Super Magnet Unloading System with a magnet so strong it will remove the stirrers from 4 inches away.  Designed for laboratories who process many microplates in a day and want to remove the stirrers and recycle them in an efficient manner or for laboratories who wish to remove the stirrers and leave the liquid behind.  The advantage over the Magnetic Replicator System is twofold: first there is no Replicator to clean between microplates and secondly it is much faster.

The Super Magnetic Unloading System is very easy to operate, just place a microplate in the system and slide the magnet across the top. It is just that simple.

As the magnet slides over the microplate, the stirrers/levitation balls are pulled from the microplate and held on and moved across the ceiling of the unloader.  Once the stirrers/levitation balls reach the discard ramp/stop they are held in place while the magnet continues to move across the ceiling.  Once the magnet has moved 4 inches past the ramp/stop the stirrers drop into the discard container and the process is repeated for the next microplate.  The only disadvantage of this system is that there may be a slight amount of cross contamination of the microplate wells as the wet stirrers hit the ceiling with considerable impact.  The spray from the stirrer impact can be significantly decreased by placing an absorbent material like paper towels on the ceiling.

The heart of this system is a very large and powerful Rare Earth magnet that can be moved up and down the rail system.  We have incorporated a damper cylinder to facilitate moving the magnet.

Watch Video of VP 772A Unloading VP 775-12

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