Hey, I am wondering if a small centrifuge like VSPIN, Hettich, etc be integrated with a STAR directly by placing it next to the Hamilton and using the ISWAP, without needing an external arm to pass plates or scheduling software? I’ve done similar integrations with a Lynx but not sure if it’s an option with STARs… I know there are on-deck centrifuges, but this seems it would take up a huge portion of the working space
@brt110 Yes. The VSpin can be integrated with the STAR. Usually it will go in from the left side and uses the ISWAP. I hope that helps?
Awesome, I figured this was done, thank you!
@brt110 Let me know if you need any help with the integration. We work with all types of liquid handlers.@NuggetScientific is a great STAR resource also.
@EricSindelar_Hamilton Dang. I forgot about needing a loader. Thanks
They often come as a pair, but I just thought to clarify!
can also be used without autoloader!
I can confirm that when the vSPIN is on the edge of the STAR (e.g. left), the iSWAP is able to reach in and place a plate directly in the bucket. This is however more dangerous than placing it on the loader.
Is it known if the iSWAP, fully extended, is just as robust as the Access2 Loader when used with VSpin centrifuges?
It stands to reason that using CO-RE grippers + Access2 Loader is more robust than the iSWAP alone, due to limiting the degrees of freedom in the system. Do we know if this is empirically true?
I’m not Eric, but would strongly recommend against using the VSpin without the loader. Speaking from experience, teaching the bucket positions inside the centrifuge is a nightmare due to the swinging nature of the bucket and the lack of visibility. You’ll likely recoup the cost of the loader in engineer teaching time savings very quickly. Also, on power loss, the VSpin door will close automatically - better to not risk the iSWAP getting caught in the door if that were to happen at the wrong time.
I agree, the VSpin is probably one of the most annoying devices to recover from crashes if there is a plate stuck inside, and calibrating the tray positions seems like a nightmare. The access tray is a little annoying but mostly because you need the split RS232 cable. I would not recommend the ethernet option since I think you need a network switch.
The fail-closed modality of the rather powerful gate is probably enough to damage the iSWAP if it ever happens to be inside at the wrong time, which would cancel out the money saved from not getting the access tray.
yes, but any real lab has a UPS and power failure will never happen
teaching locations inside the vspin is trivial with camera assistance, although definitely time consuming
what i am asking about is if vspin without loader is fundamentally less reliable. i’m not sure this has been decided?
I’ve never done a side-by-side comparison. My experience has primarily been with the loader and I’ve never had any issues with such setups. My recommendation to use the loader is based on that experience and that the device is specifically designed for the input/ouput of labware to/from the centrifuge.
I have used VSpins with and without the loader. The one without the loader was on a Agilent-built BioCel system. The DDR reached directly into the VSpin to access plates. Teaching was not too bad, but it was close to the edge of the system and was easy to reach. The VSpin driver gives some pretty granular control, and the one key thing for teaching it was to ensure that the rotor lock was engaged. It’s a little actuator that keeps the bucket from rotating when the door is open.
Using the Access loader made the VSpin easer to use with other robot arms. We had them integrated with Staubli arms. You can also put the VSpin further away from the robot or at an angle. The loader adds to the overall length of the VSpin. It was reliable, but it did fail a few times and was another thing that needed teaching.
I did not find the VSpin to be more or less reliable either way. There a very minimal time savings when the robot access the bucket directly. Its 1-2 seconds and probably negligible.
If I was integrating a VSpin on a Star with an iSwap I would probably use the loader unless there was a space constraint.