Tecan Fluent Liquid Classes (2023)

Imagine you're a conductor, standing before a grand orchestra. Each instrument has its unique sound, its unique role to play. In the world of Tecan, the instruments are your liquid classes, and you're the maestro, guiding them to create a harmonious symphony of lab automation.

1. Introduction: The Orchestra of Tecan

In Tecan, the liquid classes are your orchestra, each with its unique role in the grand symphony of lab automation. Accessible from the control bar, liquid classes are the different types of 'instruments' you can 'play' to create your masterpiece.

2. Understanding the Instruments: Liquid Classes

In this orchestra, we have two sections: the aspirate section and the dispense section. Each section has its unique sound, its unique role to play in the symphony. And just like in an orchestra, where each instrument must be tuned to the right pitch, with the Tecan Fluent, each liquid class must be adjusted for the selected tip size.

3. Tuning the Instruments: Modifying Liquid Classes

Tuning an instrument is crucial to creating a harmonious sound. In Tecan, this means adjusting the parameters of your liquid classes. Here's a quick guide to the different 'tuning knobs' you'll find:

• Pipetting Speed: This adjusts how fast you're pipetting. It's like the tempo in a piece of music.
• Delay: This slows down the pipetting speed, like a ritardando in a musical score.
• Accuracy Adjustment: This is a compensation factor, like fine-tuning the pitch of an instrument.
• Multi-Pipetting: This is for pipetting multiple times from one aspiration, like repeating a musical phrase.
• Trailing Air Gap, Sample Volume, Leading Air Gap: These parameters adjust the amount of air and liquid during pipetting, like adjusting the volume of an instrument.

4. Playing the Instruments: Detection and Positioning

Once your instruments are tuned, it's time to play them. In Tecan, this means using your liquid classes to detect and position liquids. Here's how:

• Conductive Tips: These are like your baton, used to sense the liquid.
• Tracking and Retract Supervision: These functions monitor the level of the liquid during pipetting, like keeping an eye on the sheet music during a performance.
• Retract Properties: This adjusts the speed at which the pipette comes out of the well after aspiration, like the speed at which a conductor moves their baton.

5. The Crescendo: Dispense Parameters

The climax of any symphony is the crescendo, where all the instruments come together to create a powerful sound. In Tecan, this is when you dispense the liquid. Here's how you control the 'volume' of your crescendo:

• Acceleration: This adjusts how fast you dispense, like the rising volume in a crescendo.
• Top Speed: This is the maximum speed at which you dispense, like the peak volume in a crescendo.
• Deceleration: This slows down the dispensing speed, like the falling volume after a crescendo.
• Trailing Air Gap After Dispense: This is the blowout, like the final note in a crescendo.

6. Conclusion: The Final Note

And there you have it, a symphony of liquid classes, each playing its part in the grand orchestra of Tecan. Remember, every great symphony requires a skilled conductor, someone who understands each instrument and knows how to bring them together to create a harmonious sound. So, whether you're a novice or a seasoned maestro, keep practicing, keep learning, and soon you'll be conducting your own symphony of lab automation!