e have recently developed a novel technology to increase throughput and flexibility of
protocols that require centrifugation.
Regular centrifugation, though potentially automatable, remains too unwieldy and slow a
process for high throughput instrumentation. Filter based protocols can replace most but not all
centrifugation steps and can be expensive due to the cost of the disposables involved.
The flow through microcentrifuge (FTMC) is a high speed centrifugation system that is
designed to be easily incorporated into automated instrumentation. The FTMC consists of a
miniature, air driven high speed rotor capable of revolving
around its axis at up to a few hundred thousand RPM. The rotor has a hollow, double conical
inner profile into which sample is injected. The sample is spun with the rotor and particles pellet
on the inner surface of the rotor. When the rotor is stopped, the supernatant drips out the bottom
orifice.
There are two unique advantages to this technology. First, the rotors are less than 9mm in
diameter and can therefore be arrayed in a standard 96 well
plate format. Second, the flow-through method of sample handling makes sample injection and
retrieval inherently easy to automate with few moving parts.