Next-Generation Microarray Printers Enable Ultra-Low-Volume Liquid Dispensing

Mercury instruments can be used for a wide range of microarray and microfluidics applications

Edinburgh, Scotland — Arrayjet, a leading provider of inkjet liquid-handling solutions, introduced Mercury, a new core range of five instruments for ultra-low-volume liquid dispensing. The new print dispensers offer radically improved functionality and reliability, with further enhanced speed and precision. Available in a range of output capacities from 25 to 1000 slides, Mercury instruments can be used for a wide range of microarray and microfluidics applications within pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and life science workflows.

Arrayjet Mercury Microarray Printer

Arrayjet’s high-speed microarray printers harness patented, non-contact inkjet technology for printing multiplex array-based assays onto slides, point-of-care devices, biochips, and microplates. The technology has the versatility to print any biological sample onto any substrate, at a speed up to 100-times faster than traditional pin-spotting or tip-dispensing systems. Building on five years of research and development, the Mercury range offers cost-effective, higher-throughput arraying with in-line quality control, whilst requiring minimal manual input. These next generation printers encompass the Company’s latest advances, expanding its arraying capabilities into new research areas, such as small molecule drug discovery, autoimmune screening, and multiplex-diagnostics.

The Mercury range is more compact, with even tighter environmental controls for printing consistency. The new design is easier to set-up, use, and maintain. In addition, the instruments incorporate a new printhead range for faster and more accurate printing of a larger range of volumes and spot sizes. Advanced capabilities can be custom-tailored or chosen from six application-specific packages comprising printing, scanning, reagents, and substrates, enabling users to access the functionalities most relevant for them. Mercury is upgradeable and scalable for growing manufacturing or research requirements, and fully compatible with future developments from Arrayjet.

Dr. Iain McWilliam, chief executive officer of Arrayjet, commented: “Over 20 years, Arrayjet has established its reputation as the industry-leading provider of inkjet bioprinting systems. With the launch of Mercury instruments, our offering is stronger than ever. The new range comprises the fastest and highest throughput microarrayers on the market; helping our customers to reduce costs, save time and minimise reagent use” He added: “This range incorporates our multidisciplinary team’s assay development expertise and innovation, alongside valued customer feedback; showcasing Arrayjet’s continued dedication to advancing microarray printing.”