Xtend™ Capillary Microarray Pins and Print Heads

FEATURES

Excellent Spotting Uniformity

Deposition through capillary channel significantly improves spots uniformity compare to split pins even when printing liquids with different viscosity.

Deposition Repeatability

Capillary construction allows deposition of equal amount of liquid regardless of the viscosity and outer conditions such as temperature and humidity.

Controllable Uptake Volume

Typically microarray printing pins uptake DNA material enough for hundreds of spots but deposit only a few dozens. The remaining material is wasted in the washing apparatus before the next sample pick-up. Precious biological material can be saved for further prints if pins could uptake the amount of liquid only necessary for deposition of the required number of spots. In LabNEXT printing pins deposition capillary is followed by big volume channel that allows pick-up amount of liquid enough for hundreds of spots. Volume of liquid that pins pick up depends on how long the pins were submerged in the liquid. Xact Microarrayer has relevant software settings that allow to control uptake volume and pick-up only minimal required amount of it.

Zero Evaporation

Due to tubular construction liquid is enclosed inside the needle and does not evaporate during the printing run.

Zero Cross-sample contamination

Simple shape of needle dramatically simplifies and improves cleaning process and along with ultra-smooth inert ceramic surface of the needle completely eliminates risk of cross-sample contamination. Cleaning equipment and procedures are also greatly simplified compare to the split pins.

Low Prespotting Requirements

Using Xtend printing pins allows to save on prespotting slides. Due to the smooth non-adhesive finish pins do not accumulate excessive liquid on outer surface. 2 prespotting hits are enough to start printing uniform spots. Only one prespotting slide is required for the most of printing jobs.

Chemical Inertness

LabNEXT composite pins are made of chemically inert material that does not contaminate printing substance - the problem very common to pins made of metal.

Corrosion Resistance

LabNEXT pins can withstand aggressive chemical environment and can operate and be cleaned with strong acids and solvents.

Wear Resistance

Xtend Pins made of the material that wears out 10 times slower than glass. The pins can make millions hits without noticeable change of the geometry. LabNEXT pins last 100 times longer than any metal pins.

Easy Handling

Xtend pins are more forgiving in handling than most of the other pins on the market partially due to the strength of the material they made of and partially due to the more rigid tubular construction.