MICROLAB NIMBUS
Liquid Handling Workstation

Overview

The MICROLAB® NIMBUS is Hamilton Company's newest automated multi-channel pipetting platform, offering a high density deck layout in a body small enough to fit inside a laminar flow hood.  The system utilizes the same highly accurate 96-channel pipetting head as Hamilton's STAR instruments, yet is designed for smaller throughput applications.  The NIMBUS is ideal for:
 

• Fast plate replications
• Row-wise and column-wide serial dilutions
• PCR sample prep· DNA/RNA separation
• MALDI target spotting
• Reagent addition

Advanced Pipetting Technology

The NIMBUS utilizes several key technologies:

Incredibly accurate liquid measurement.  Hamilton Company made its name on the precision attained by our syringes, which have set the standard for accurate liquid measurement for over 50 years.  That same principle has served as the foundation for our robotics platforms and has found its way into every pipetting head we make.

CO-RE (Compressed O-Ring Expansion).  To ensure that the tips are attached perfectly straight and sealed evenly, we developed our CO-RE technology which affixes pipette tips to the pipetting channels with a stable lock-and-key fit.  This system is able to achieve a positional precision of ±0.1 mm in all axes, making the NIMBUS ideal for tasks where high precision is essential, such as MALDI target spotting and low volume dispensing.  This technology requires no vertical force to attach and detach tips and virtually eliminates aerosols upon tip ejection.

cLLD (capacitive Liquid Level Detection).  The pipetting head provides real time feedback the moment the 96-channel head detects the liquid level of ionic solutions.  Knowing the exact position of liquid levels allows for optimal tip depth when pipetting.

Software

The NIMBUS utilizes the same powerful software developed for Hamilton’s MICROLAB STAR line of instruments.  This software offers unprecedented control of procedure flow, file handling and integration with third party devices, yet it is remarkably easy to use.  The GUI presents a plate-based interface in which to set up new methods.  Commonly performed operations such as plate replication and serial dilution have been assembled into “Easy Steps” which provide a simple way to quickly program a method.

Accessories

Several options enhance the utility of the MICROLAB® NIMBUS.

Rotating Labware Gripper – The range of applications and throughput possible on the NIMBUS are greatly enhanced by the use of the optional labware gripper.
 

• Lifts and moves plates, lids, deep-well blocks and tip racks
• Rotates up to 270° - can reverse plate orientation
• Has the ability to pipette while holding a plate lid
• Reaches off the deck as well as below the deck – which facilitates integration with third-party devices

Barcode Scanner – Integrated into the pipetting head, the barcode scanner reads plate labels where the sit on the deck and does not have to pick them up in order to do so.  This gives the NIMBUS the ability to perform a flying scan of the deck and provide feedback at the beginning of a run that the deck is set up properly.
 

Nestable Tip Racks – The NIMBUS utilizes Hamilton Company’s new stacking tip racks in tip sizes of 10 µl, 50 µl & 300 µl.
 

• Available in black (conductive) and clear tips
• Utilizes Hamilton’s CO-RE tip attachment system
• Capable of being stacked up to four racks high on NIMBUS deck

Multiple deck options – The NIMBUS is available in decks with 8, 11 or 12 plate positions, the former two containing  height-adjustable sections capable of handling Nestable Tip Racks and taller labware.
 

Tip waste chute – Easy to attach and remove from the instrument, the tip waste chute provides a convenient solution for an issue common to all automated platforms, yet does not consume valuable deck space.

Specifications