isoPick

Overview

The isoPick is an advanced single-cell picking system built on iotaSciences' patented isoCell microfluidic technology and automates dispensing, isolation and transfer of single cells. It uses GRID technology to dispense cells into nanolitre chambers that avoid optical edge effects and enable immediate visualization with any inverted microscope using 4x/10x objectives; GRIDS are described as 200-600 Nanolitres per chamber and a single GRID contains 256 chambers in a 60 mm dish. Specifications include chamber area: 3.24 millimetres squared, chamber volume: 200 nL, up to 94 single-cell chambers per dish (based on Poisson distribution), and 120 Seconds for plating cells across 256 GRID chambers-automated & hands-free. Physical and system details: dimensions 210 x 300 x 300 mm; weight 4.8 kg (5.4 kg with cooling block); operating temperature 16–35°C (60–95°F); humidity 40% to 60%; altitude less than 2000 m; power supply input 90–260 V AC, 50–60 Hz with minimum 1A at 115 V and 0.7 A at 230 V; isoPick power input 24 V DC, 50W; system operates with extremely low pressure of <0.5 psi to minimise shear stress, offers optional detachable cooling blocks, is UV light and ethanol resistant, provides rapid exchange of wetted parts, includes an intuitive GUI and touch interface (stylus included), supports 2.4 GHz wireless data transfer to an isoHub and has a USB port for software updates (requires Windows 10/11). Collection and consumable details: the isoPick can transfer cells into 96-well TC plates, 96-well PCR plates, 8-strip PCR tubes or LC-MS vials, and single-cell isolation kits include 18 colour-coded 60 mm dishes, microcentrifuge tubes, 10 mL reservoirs, PLH buffer 100X solution, HFBIO for GRID formation, a replacement dispensing assembly and a pipetting aid. Explicitly stated downstream applications include single-cell cloning, single-cell genomics, single-cell lipidomics and microalgae isolation. The isoPick transfers verified single cells from ultra-low volume culture chambers (GRIDs) automatically into 96-well plates, supporting hands-off isolation workflows for cloning, genomic analysis or mass spectrometry. Optional sample cooling and ultra-gentle handling with low pressure of <0.5 psi are provided to help maintain cell viability during isolation and transfer.