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HydroSpeed™ plate washer

for cells, beads and ELISAs in 96- and 384-well microplate formats

The HydroSpeed is Tecan’s advanced plate washer, designed for quick, parallel washing of entire 96- and 384-well plates. This avoids time differences between the wells for uniform results. In addition, the HydroSpeed provides full control of wash power for optimized washing of cells, beads and ELISAs.




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Tab 01 /
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Power and control for optimized wash results / videos

The HydroSpeed plate washer is ready for ELISA washing, as well as gentle washing of adherent and weakly-adherent cells. It supports soak steps with microplate shaking, as well as buffer switching. With full on-board operation via the easy-to-use touchscreen interface, the HydroSpeed really does offer you power and control for all your cell, bead and ELISA washing applications.

Cell Assays

Cell Protection™ extra gentle drop-wise dispensing to minimize cell detachment

Reduced turbulence via online optimization of dispense position

Typical cell recovery of ≥85% using tuneable aspiration settings

Bead Assays

Fast bead settling thanks to a patented design using two magnets per well

High bead recovery rates (typically ≥90 %) via tuneable aspiration settings

Optional vacuum filtration for non-magnetic bead washing

ELISA Assays

Anti-Clogging™ active prevention of needle blockage for reliable operation

Automated rinsing and soaking of wash head for easy handling

Easy X-change wash heads for straightforward ultrasonic cleaning

Highlights

  • Cell Protection - extra gentle cell washing with tuneable wash power
  • Adjustable wash head positions, speed settings and vacuum level
  • Anti-Clogging - active prevention of needle clogging
  • Easy X-change wash heads for intense cleaning in ultrasonic bath
  • Patented design with two rare-earth magnets per well
  • Enables fast bead settling and high bead recovery rates
  • Automated buffer switching of four liquids and plate shaking capability
  • Simultaneous aspiration and dispensing for ELISA washing
  • Up to four aspiration points per well for minimal residual volumes
  • Automated system for vacuum filtration using vacuum sensor
  • Individual vacuum settings for each filtration step within a protocol
  • pLLD for maintenance-free liquid level detection in the waste bottle
  • Touchscreen with moisture protection for operation with gloves
  • Predefined plate library and protocols for an easy start
  • Ready for robotic integration
  • Tested reliability to minimize maintenance and service costs
  • Plate assistant function for easy teaching of new plates
  • Advanced wash head for parallel washing of entire 384-well plates
  • Universal 96 indexing head for washing 96- and 384-well plates
  • Supports FDA 21 CFR part 11 functionality with HydroControlTM software




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Tab 02 / Features
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Cell Protection™

Extra gentle cell washing with tuneable wash power

Loosely adherent cell lines, such as P815 and HEK293, are commonly used for a wide range of research applications, but are challenging to wash for typical plate washers.

Discover the difference with Tecan's HydroSpeed expert cell washer:

  • Drop-wise dispensing to avoid cell detachment
  • Optimization of dispense position to minimize turbulence in the wells
  • Tunable aspiration parameters, including needle position and vacuum level, to avoid cell loss
  • Reduced costs by eliminating the need for a dedicated cell washing head

Anti-Clogging™

Reliable operation through active prevention of needle clogging

Automated ELISA processing using a microplate washer is now a routine task for many laboratories, yet crystallization of wash buffer within the aspiration/dispense needles remains a common problem. The HydroSpeed's innovative Anti-Clogging function actively prevents needle clogging by automatically rinsing and soaking the wash head when the washer is idle for a user-defined period.

Highlights of Anti-Clogging function include:

  • Automated start of rinse and soak steps of the wash head to avoid buffer crystallization
  • Fail-safe procedure in case user has forgotten to start daily maintenance program
  • No downtime for cleaning of spills typically caused by needle blockage
  • Easy X-change wash heads allows additional intense cleaning in an external ultrasonic bath

Patented design using dual magnets per well

Efficient bead settling and high bead recovery rates

Multiplexed assays using magnetic beads are becoming increasingly popular for a variety of applications, but achieving good wash results without loosing beads remains a challenge. The HydroSpeed washer protects magnetic beads by settling them away from the needles during aspiration, achieving low residual volumes while maintaining high bead recovery rates.

Features include:

  • Powerful rare-earth magnets to provide fast and efficient bead settling
  • Two magnets per well to keep the beads out of the way during washing
  • Adjustable vacuum level and aspiration position for optimized bead recovery

Ease of use

Integrated monitoring of liquid level in waste bottle

  • Integrated pressure-based liquid level detection (pLLD) system informs operator when waste bottle is full
  • Patent pending pLLD function avoids the risk of blockage common to swimmer-based LLD systems mounted in the waste bottle, increasing safety and eliminating additional cleaning steps

Plate assistant function

Patent-pending auto-adjust function for easy teaching of new plates

  • Provides automated adjustment of the bottom aspiration position located inside the wells for optimized wash results
  • Takes the hassle out of teaching plates with non-transparent wells typically used for reading of fluorescence or luminescence assays
  • Handles different well geometries in 96- and 384-well plate formats, including flat-bottom, round-bottom and v-shaped wells

Intense cleaning of wash heads

Using a typical lab ultrasonic bath

  • The Easy X-change wash heads can easily be removed by the operator for ultrasonic cleaning
  • A self-alignment feature simplifies reinstallation of the wash heads




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Tab 03 / Options
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Selection of wash heads for optimized results

The HydroSpeed plate washer is available with a selection of wash heads optimized for cells, beads and ELISAs. An innovative Easy X-change system allows intense cleaning of the wash heads in an external ultrasonic bath:

  • 96 indexing wash head for washing both 96- and 384-well plates, without swapping wash heads
  • 96 high speed wash head for simultaneous washing of all 96 wells for optimum speed
  • 384 high speed wash head for parallel washing of all 384 wells for fast results

Magnetic bead washing in 96- and 384-well plate formats

The HydroSpeed provides optimized magnetic carriers for a range of bead-based assays:

  • MBS 384 carrier for efficient washing of magnetic beads, eg. Luminex® beads and Dynabeads® in 384-well plates
  • Smart-2 MBS 96 carrier with patented design using two magnets per well for optimized wash results with Luminex beads
  • MBS 96 carrier with one large magnet per well for washing of small magnetic particles such as Dynabeads MyOne™

Vacuum filtration in 96- and 384-well filter plates

The HydroSpeed plate washer offers an advanced vacuum filtration module for filter washing of non-magnetic beads:

  • Sensor-controlled vacuum levels for high bead recovery
  • Automation-friendly sealing of the filtration plate without manual intervention
  • Automated vacuum release after filtration for fast unloading of plate
  • Vacuum settings for filtration ranging from -50 to -300 mBar




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Tab 04 / Applications
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Increased productivity and sparkling results

Tecan's HydroSpeed can be configured as a 4-in-1 microplate washer, providing you with increased productivity and sparkling results by accelerating key washing processes for a range of applications in 96- and 384-well plates, such as:

  • Optimized washing of loosely adherent cells via extra gentle Cell Protection™ wash settings
  • Gentle washing of magnetic beads using two magnets per well for high bead recovery
  • Fast and reliable ELISA washing with integrated Anti-Clogging™ for active prevention of needle blockage
  • Filter washing of non-magnetic, polystyrene beads via automated vacuum filtration

Highlights

Additionally, the HydroSpeed plate washer provides the following highlights:

  • Convenient touchscreen interface for intuitive on-board operation and programming
  • Moisture protection on the touchscreen designed for operation with gloves
  • Pre-defined plate library and example wash programs for a quick start
  • Integrated prevention of needle blockage and Easy X-change wash heads for intense, external ultrasonic cleaning
  • Universal 96 indexing wash head processes both 96- and 384-well plates and supports washing of cells, beads and ELISAs
  • Automated buffer switching of up to four wash buffers within a wash protocol

Application guide for Tecan plate washers

Get an overview of the range of applications supported by the Tecan HydroSpeed plate washer in 96- and 384-well plate formats.

Download here




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Ready to start

The HydroSpeed includes a predefined plate library, with typical settings for commonly used 96- and 384-well plates, allowing rapid set up of new protocols.

Liquid level monitoring in waste bottle

Integrated pressure-based liquid level detection (pLLD) system informs operator when waste bottle is full.

pLLD avoids the risk of blockage common to swimmer-based LLD systems mounted in the waste bottle.

An optional, liquid level detection system (LLD) is available for monitoring the filling levels in the liquid bottles, as well as the waste bottle.

Ready for integration on robotic workstations

The HydroSpeed plate washer incorporates an array of sensors, to ensure secure and reliable integration into automated platforms, such as Fluent and Freedom EVO.

Additionally, it is compatible with a range of third-party plate stackers, such as the S-LAB™ from paa, for semi-automated processing of plates.

Regulatory compliance

In combination with HydroControl software, it is  designed to meet the requirements of FDA 21 CFR part 11, including electronic records, electronic signatures and audit trail functionality.




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Application notes

Using Tecan’s HydroSpeed™ plate washer for magnetic bead washing of EMD Millipore’s MILLIPLEX® MAP Human Cytokine/Chemokine Magnetic Bead Panel

Using Tecan’s HydroSpeed™ plate washer with gentle settings for washing of weakly-adherent P815 cells and adherent A431 cells.
Using Tecan’s HydroSpeed™ plate washer and Infinite® F50 absorbance reader.

Technical Notes

Staining and fixing cells or cellular aggregates for endpoint analysis is a labor-intensive process in cell biology, traditionally performed using manual protocols that involve multiple incubation and washing steps, aiming to enhance the microscopic visibility of specific cellular compartments. In 3D cellular aggregates, optimizing staining and washing protocols is essential to ensure even reagent distribution and minimize variability. However, manual handling often introduces procedural errors, compromising the quality and reliability of experimental results. This technical note highlights the integration of Tecan's HydroSpeed™ plate washer into the staining and fixation workflow for 3D multicellular spheroids. The automated system improves throughput, standardizes washing procedures, and reduces well-to-well variability, while minimizing cell loss, making it highly suitable for high-throughput screening and drug discovery applications.

Brochure including specifications

The HydroSpeed is Tecan’s advanced plate washer, designed for quick, parallel washing of entire 96- and 384-well plates. This avoids time differences between the wells for uniform results. In addition the HydroSpeed provides full control of wash power for optimized washing of cells, beads and ELISAs.

Tecan Journal Articles

Symplicity by design
[TJ 01/2015]
Using the HydroSpeed plate washer for magnetic bead washing of AmpaSand™ beads from Genera Biosystems.
Using the HydroSpeed plate washer as an integrated module on a Freedom EVO® workstation for washing of biofilms.

This web page may contain reference to applications and products which are not available in all markets. Please check with your local sales representative.