Automated Sample Processing and Biobanking

MiniLab5000-G weighs and dispenses solid powder and liquid samples, then carries them through dissolution, dilution to volume and vortex mixing. A Mettler-Toledo balance reads to 0.0001 or 0.00001 g, and powder dispensing is controlled by high-frequency vibration with a tilt-angle dynamic PID algorithm. Vials are capped automatically between steps, which matters for hygroscopic powders.

• Standard weighing, powder and liquid aliquoting, dissolution and dilution to volume in one workflow
• Mettler-Toledo balance reading to 0.0001 or 0.00001 g for automatic weighing
• High-frequency vibration and tilt-angle PID control for powder dispensing
• Liquid handling from 0 to 200,000 cps, with tips made for viscous samples
• Dual-station capping keeps open vials from taking up moisture or losing volatiles
• Optional dehumidification module, or a sealed chamber under nitrogen protection
• PP working chamber built to cleanroom practice for corrosion resistance and cleanliness

MiniLab5000-F caps and uncaps tubes, pipettes and filters at high throughput, handling more than 400 samples a day on racks for 2 mL, 15 mL or 50 mL tubes. Pipetting uses a bullet-piston syringe with overpressure protection, and a pressure sensor notices a blocking filter and raises the filtration force rather than stalling. Two capping stations sense how tight each cap is and normalize it before the run.

• More than 400 samples processed per day
• Racks for 72 by 2 mL, 72 by 15 mL or 21 by 50 mL tubes
• Bullet-piston injection with automatic overpressure protection and re-push
• Pipetting error and repeatability better than the JJG 646-2006 verification requirement
• Pressure sensor detects a blocked filter and raises filtration force automatically
• Dual-station capping senses cap tightness and corrects loose or over-tight caps

MiniLab5000-Empore concentrates and stores urine protein on a membrane instead of in a freezer. Vacuum filtration and heated drying run automatically, and the dried membrane holds the protein concentrate for later elution. LabTech quotes about three minutes per sample and a 10-year storage life, against the 8 to 10 mL of raw urine that conventional freezer or liquid nitrogen storage requires.

• Vacuum filtration and heated drying in one automated flow
• Membrane enrichment replaces bulk urine storage
• About 3 minutes per sample
• Stated storage life of 10 years for the dried membrane
• Avoids the repeated freeze-thaw cycles that degrade protein
• Less manual handling and a lower risk of cross-contamination

MiniLab5000-Disk cuts discs from 25 or 47 mm membrane samples and deposits them in a 96-well collection plate. The plate can go directly to elution or further processing, which removes a manual punching step and the handling that comes with it. Barcode entry ties each disc back to the membrane it came from.

• Automatic punching of 25 mm and 47 mm membranes
• Discs collected into a 96-well plate for direct elution
• Barcode entry and data traceability for each membrane
• Less manual handling, so less cross-contamination risk
• Feeds downstream elution without a transfer step

MiniLab5000-Enzyme prepares urine, protein and small-molecule drug samples by automating the digestion sequence. Plate transfer, washing, tip-based reagent addition, tip pipetting, enclosed constant-temperature incubation in the dark, and filtration all run on the system. The function modules can be combined to match a given assay rather than fixed to one protocol.

• 8-channel pipetting for plate-based workflows
• Enclosed constant-temperature heating for controlled digestion
• Dark incubation for light-sensitive reactions
• Orbital and linear shaking modes
• Combined modules cover plate transfer, washing, addition, pipetting and filtration