Automated Liquid Handling Systems

The Hudson SOLO™ is an innovative automated pipettor designed to streamline liquid handling processes in research, pharmaceutical, and clinical laboratories. With its low cost, flexibility, and user-friendly interface, the SOLO offers unparalleled convenience and efficiency in pipetting tasks.

Available in single, 8 and 12 channel pipette options the SOLO automated pipetting robot can be programmed to do anything expected of a hand-held pipettor, with greatly improved precision (see the Specifications tab):

      • Only takes minutes to learn to use
      • Easy-to-use, agile and flexible software
      • As precise as any ‘big deck’ robotic liquid handling system
SOLO Liquid Handling Automated Pippetting Robot
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Set up the liquid handling steps in intuitive SoloSoft control software and go. Equipped with a broad dynamic volume range and the ability to handle reactions in a sterile environment. It is about half the cost of other laboratory robotics platforms and has options of 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 microplate nests on the deck.  The SOLO will fit into most biological safety cabinets, anaerobic chambers and fume hoods.

The SOLO can be loaded and operated manually, but is also compatible with robotic arms from most manufacturers, including our PlateCrane EX. The small footprint and open design of the SOLO automated pipettor provide easy integration with accessories, such as heating and cooling nests, incubators, magnetic bead nests, automatable centrifuges, microplate readers and more. Our SoftLinx lab automation software has software Plug-ins to over 200 3rd party lab instruments.

A SOLO with an ATC Thermocycler, Hudson’s magnetic bead nest, Torrey Pines shaking nest, and FilterPress

A SOLO with a PlateCrane robotic arm

A SOLO with a PlateCrane robotic arm, Micro10x reagent dispenser, FilterPress and BMG reader integration

The SOLO liquid handler was developed to meet the growing need throughout the research, pharmaceutical and clinical communities for a high resolution compact robotic pipettor. The SOLO’s liquid handling provides researchers with walkaway freedom, a small footprint, and easy to use SoloSoft software which is closely linked to our SoftLinx™ software for data tracking and scheduling, plus improved efficiency and decreased cost of continuous unattended operation systems.

The SOLO – multi-tip is available with either an 8-tip pipette head or 12-tip pipette head.  The SOLO is standard with a 6 position deck. No worries if you need to transfer samples quickly from plate to plate and then other times do a serial dilution across the plate.  The SOLO easily adapts without any tools to both heads. Use the 12-tip head to finish plate to plate transfers 50% faster than the 8-tip head, remove the head and add the 8 position head for easy serial dilutions.

Serial Dilution with the SOLO

Users who wish to cherry-pick from individual wells can use either the single-tip SOLO (as shown in the video clip below) or the multi-tip configuration.  The SOLO multi-tip (both 8-channel and 12-channel) can work with just 1 tip, several tips, or all the tips without any issues. There is no need to switch to a single tip pipette head.

The SOLO multi-tip offers a broad pipetting range. The mechanical drive and software controls of the pipette head allow the SOLO to push the boundaries of pipetting performance &liquid handling. With CVs of less than 3% across the entire pipetting range users can save valuable time and expense by using a single pipette head for both multi-tip and single-tip operations.

The SOLO automated pipettors provide many benefits to the lab:

  • Single-, 8- & 12-channel pipetting heads are available.
  • The 8- & 12-channel SOLO instruments can use only 1 tip without compromising performance saving valuable time and expense.
  • The SOLO offers many pipetting option to give the SOLO user the ability to dispense accurate  volumes (from 500nL to 10ml) with CVs better than 3%.
  • The SOLO offers email functionality in the software that alerts the user when a run is completed or that an error has occurred.
  • The SOLO can easily be integrated with additional instruments and software at anytime.
  • The SOLO is easily customized for unique or specialized applications.

Accessories

PlateCrane EX Robot Arm

  • Easy integration using SoftLinx
  • Up to 15 stacks, 450 plate capacity
  • Easy combination with SoloSoft methods
  • Access to any SOLO plate nest
PlateCrane SciClops Laboratory automation, Microplate Handler
LabLinx Microplate Stacker

  • Feeds plates on track mounted directly to SOLO deck
  • Up to 4 Stackers per SOLO, 480 microplate capacity
  • Easy integration using SoftLinx
  • Multiple plates handled simultaneously
  • Easy combination with SoloSoft methods
  • Access to any SOLO plate nest
Micro10x Reagent Dispenser

  • Fast, accurate dispensing of bulk reagents
  • 8- or 12-channel dispense manifolds
  • Portrait or Landscape orientation
  • Mounts to SOLO as a plate nest position
  • Easily integrates into SoloSoft pipetting methods
  • Dramatically increases SOLO throughput
magnetic bead station
Magnetic Bead Station

  • Computer controlled magnetic bead separation methods
  • NdFeB neodymium Magnets
  • 24, 96, and 384 well Ring Magnets available
Magnetic Bead Station
FilterPress Pressure Filtration Station

  • Dispense samples and solvents directly into filter plates
  • Computer control of pressure ramp-up/down
  • Detects and reports actual pressure level
  • Easy integration using SoftLinx
  • Mounts to SOLO as a plate nest position
Heating/Cooling Nest

  • Electrical: 100 – 260 VAC; 50-60 Hz; 0.5W
  • RS-232 interface through SoloSoft
  • Temp. Range: -10°C to 100°C
  • Logs actual nest temperature during run
  • Easy integration into SoloSoft pipetting methods
  • Flexible user options:
Shaker Nest

  • Electrical: 115 – 230 VAC; 50-60 Hz; 3W
  • RS-232 interface through SoloSoft
  • Shaking Speed: 100 to 2000RPM
  • Up to 4 independently-controlled shaker nests per SOLO
  • Easy integration into SoloSoft pipetting methods
  • Control of Shake Speed, Shake Time, Acceleration and Shaking Pattern:

Applications

The SOLO was developed to meet the growing need throughout the research, pharmaceutical and clinical communities for a high resolution compact robotic pipettor. It can be adapted to any research activity which requires the accurate addition, removal and mixing of liquid samples and reagents – including those containing live cells. The SOLO can be integrated with other automated instruments for seamless process control and flexibility and has many uses in applications involving:

DNA Extraction

Microbiome/Microbiota Research

Oligo Pooling

Oligo Purification

Gene Assembly

DNA and RNA Normalization;

Synthetic Biology

Plasmid Preparation;

Fungal, Yeast, Bacterial Colony Picking

Colony Plating

DNA Transformation into Bacteria

Protein Binding

Protein Expression & Purification;

Handling Non-Standard Sample Plates

ELISA

Serial Dilutions

Features

The SOLO easily fits on lab benchtops and into standard fume hoods and biosafety cabinets. It can automate large and small volume experiments, is adaptable to common well plate formats and can improve the quality and reliability of research. The SOLO liquid handler can work as an unattended stand alone instrument which can save time and decrease cost and users can learn to use Hudson’s Softlinx software in just minutes. The product also can preserve sterility and avoid cross-contamination while dispensing into slides and microplates.  The SOLO high-throughput single-channel pipettor has features researchers will find very desirable in a benchtop instrument including:

  • Compact as small as 14″ x 16″ (355mm x 400mm) footprint for a 4 microplate position SOLO
  • 8-, 24-, 96-, 384- and 1536-well microplate compatible
  • Compatible with a wide variety of non-standard vials, test tubes and reagent reservoirs
  • Broad volume range: 500nl to 1000ul for the multi-tip heads, 500nL to 10mL for the single-tip heads.
  • Easily fits in a standard hood
  • Fully compatible with robot loading systems or can be used manually as a stand alone unit
  • Plate stacker upgrade available anytime for unparalleled flexibility and high throughput
  • Easy to use SoloSoft control software for simple programming of automated pipetting steps
  • Includes Hudson Robotics’ SoftLinx software, which provides an easy-to-use interface to coordinate the SOLO’s operation with other automated instruments

Specifications

Dispensing : Single channel – 1ul to 10 ml; optional pump assembly for bulk dispensing
8 & 12 channel : 1-10 ul pipette head; 5 – 200ul pipette head; 20 – 1000 ul pipette head

Plate Capacity
: 4, 6, 8, 10,12 microplate positions available

Optional Microplate Gripper : Move plates to accessories on the deck or other instruments

Plate Format : SBS standard footprint, any well configuration; inquire about custom nests

Tubes, Flasks and Vials: Any format

Housing material : Stainless main deck; painted steel upper arm covers over machined aluminum structural components

Spill Protection : All electronics protected by solid, non-penetrated cover to prevent any leakage onto electrical devices

Arm Mechanism: Horizontal Travel/Vertical Stroke: x=22.5″; y=9.3″; z=4.0″

Size : As small as 24.0″ x 29.5″ x 19.5″ (H x W x D) for a 4 microplate position SOLO

Weight : 50lbs

Power Requirements: 120-240 VAC, 50-60Hz, 2Amps Max at 120

Computer Interface : RS-232 serial cable

Precision: The high-resolution motor that drives the SOLO’s pipette greatly increases it’s precision. Results vary depending on the nature of the liquid and the exact method of aspiration and dispense, but in general, a pipette rated at 20-200uL will dispense as low as 2uL with an average CV below 2%. Larger volumes are dispensed with CVs under 0.5%.

Equipping SOLO liquid handling with a lower volume pipette allows one to dispense liquids in the range of 1 µL to 1000 µL with similar precision. Click here to view a recent white paper that discusses automated pipetting techniques and their effect on precision.

Speed: Below are some timing results based on filling each well of a 96 well plate with 5uL of liquid, one well at a time.

Method Average Time/ Plate (min:sec)

Aspirate from a reservoir (Same point each time)

1:43

Copy plate – well by well with no tip changes

6:18

Copy plate – well by well with 96 tip changes

29:04