Thermo Fisher Scientific has launched a next-generation, compressor-free plate sealer, designed to alleviate the maintenance burden on operators, while offering unparalleled process customisation capabilities, intuitive operation and significant work efficiencies. Biotechnology, pharmaceutical and academic research laboratories can now benefit from a system capable of simplifying the plate-sealing process and enabling improved reliability and productivity both for standalone, as well as, integrated robotic projects.
As a fully electrically operated system, the Thermo Scientific ALPS 5000 has been developed to increase the efficiency of the heat plate sealing process and offers maximum flexibility to support high-throughput applications. The system eliminates the need for tedious and costly replacement of expensive vacuum cups, onboard compressors and compressed air lines, typically required when using conventional pneumatically driven equipment. As a result, maintenance costs are minimised and quieter operation is enabled ensuring minimal disruption to the working environment.
Designed as one of the most user-friendly units available, the ALPS 5000 facilitates easy, tool-free foil loading and does not require the use of adapters to change between different plates. The system is operated via a large, intuitive touchscreen with a modern user interface, which permits for precise control over sealing parameters to ensure repeatability, while including programming parameters for integration into automated or robotic workflows.
The ALPS 5000 offers process customisation capabilities to address various application needs, from polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to next-generation sequencing, compound storage and flow cytometry. Users can program the sealing time, temperature and pressure parameters to suit their specific requirements. Moreover, the ALPS 5000 offers the flexibility to use either a traditional force sealing, or a distance sealing to maximise the number of times a plate can be resealed.
