Hi everyone,
We’re currently looking for an automated vortex machine to integrate into our liquid handling device. Do you have any recommendations or suggestions?
Also, we’d appreciate any insights on best practices for using a vortex machine in this context—for example, whether it’s typically held in place with robotic arms or fixed in another way.
Thanks in advance for your input!
What type of labware are you trying to mix in, tubes, plates?
What liquid handler are wanting to integrate with?
Actually, my question is more general, I was wondering, what is considered the best practice for this? For example, instead of using a vortex, could we use an on-deck shaker or another type of orbital shaker?
It really depends on what you need to “vortex.” If it’s a shallow well plate those shakers work well. If it’s a reservoir or tube of some sort we have a V&P Scientific Spin Vessel that works well for what it is. We use it for resuspending 50mL conicals of beads, but they have different adapters and could be used all the way up to large dishes for cells.
I think the most common replacement is either an on-deck shaker as you said, in which case shake radius/rpm should be specific to the plate format (384/96/24/6) but in some cases pipette mixing is suitable too
As others have noted, shakers or a spin vessel are great options. With regard to shakers, you need to consider adapters, RPM and mixing orbit (3mm is king imo.) Some gripper fingers rotate fast enough to mimic vortex.
With that said, DO NOT sleep on your labware selection. Some labwares are much better at increasing the number of collisions.
Between pipette mixing, on-deck shaking and labware selection, I’ve had a lot of success replacing vortex steps.
There have been a lot of great points in this thread. I would add that when validating a method for mixing, choose something that closely mimics your actual samples. Use a non-toxic colored chemical dissolved in your sample solvent.
I once set up a mixing method on a Bravo using DMSO and food coloring. When we mixed our sample plate we noticed one of our compounds, which was intensely colored, did not mix at all. Years later, at Hamilton training, we were advised to use colored chemicals instead of food coloring which is specifically formulated to easily mix into a variety of “solvents”.