Lab Equipment

Company Announcements

In July, C. Gerhardt named Pensalab as its exclusive distributor for Brazil.

In August, private investment firm Summit Park announced the sale of Control Company, a provider of thermometers, timers, tools, humidity gauges, hygrometers and conductivity tools, to Cole-Parmer.

BIOBASE established in August a branch office and warehouse in the Hamriyah Free Zone, close to Dubai, UAE.

In September, VWR opened a new 35,000 ft² kitting center in Skalice, Czech Republic, to support its Therapak business and add to its VWRCATALYST offering. The facility will be fully operational on October 2.

Product Introductions

In July, OHAUS launched a new line of Extreme Environment Shakers, which can be used in CO₂ incubators. It features a remote controller. The company also launched five new models of its rocking and waving shaking models for applications in a variety of environmental conditions, including two analytical 16 lb rocking shaker models in 1 and 2-tier options.

OHAUS released in August a new line of digital reciprocating shakers, featuring a RS232 interface for two-way data logging and unit control.

Thermo Fisher Scientific unveiled in July the Thermo Scientific TSX505 Series undercounter refrigerators, calling them the only lab-grade undercounter refrigerators using thermoelectric drives in place of compressor technology for variable speed control. They feature energy savings and whisper-quiet operation.

In September, Panasonic Healthcare released the 165 L MCO-170AICD, the latest addition to its IncuSafe incubator line. The MCO-170AIC(UV)D is certified as a Class IIa Medical Device.

Uniqsis introduced in September the FlowLab Column, an optimized flow chemistry system. It offers the potential to replace conventional stirred batch reactors for continuous, heterogeneously catalyzed liquid phase reactions.

In September, Baker Ruskinn debuted the VelO₂x rapid oxygen-control chamber for fast oxygen transition studies, ideal for use with animal research models.

Laboratory Automation

Company Announcements

In August, Labcyte and SEngine Precision Medicine announced a collaboration to employ Labcyte’s Echo acoustic liquid handling solutions with SEngine’s functional drug testing approach that matches cancer patients to available toxic therapies. SEngine is also using Labcyte’s Access Laboratory Workstation.

HighRes Biosolutions and Titian Software completed a joint effort in September combining their respective automation and sample tracking system to provide a flexible and fully auditable sample management workflow. Seven systems are now in production.

Product Introductions

In August, Tecan released new clear Liquid Handling (LiHa) disposable tips for use with its Air LiHa, Air FCA and Cavro ADP pipetting options. It includes 50 µL tips, available in Tecan Pure, and 200 and 1,000 µL tips, currently available in Tecan Standard and soon available in Tecan Pure.

Labcyte introduced in September the Echo Qualified 384 LDV Plus Microplate, a 384-well low dead volume microplate for its Echo 525 Liquid Handlers. It reduces the amount of sample or reagent required in a well for transfer by 75% or more.

In September, Epson Robots released the T-Series All-in-One robots with built-in controller. The first product in the line, the T3, offers a cost effective and simple-to-integrate and install solution. Applications include lab automation.

Sales/Orders of Note

In September, Hamilton Storage announced the use of its Hamilton BiOS automated storage system by the Biobank for Microbiome Research in Massachusetts project. The system is expected to be installed and operational by early 2018, and will store 3.5 million samples.

Hudson Robotics and John Hopkins University announced in September the receipt of an NIH grant to develop a commercially viable high-throughput screening system for in vivo studies of zebrafish as a primary screening method.

Electrochemistry

Product Introductions

In August, DKK-TOA introduced the WQC-30 portable water quality analyzer, the successor to the WQC-22A. Up to six parameters can be measured simultaneously.

Cole-Parmer released in September the Oakton pocket testers for water quality: pHTestr 50, pHTestr 50S Spear-Tip, ORPTestr 50, CTSTestr 50 and PCTSTestr 50 Multiparameter. They stand upright due to a new cap design that also works as a sample cup and stores solution.

Chemicals and Reagents

Company

Merck KGaA announced in June a collaboration with Elsevier under which it will add an additional 43,000 life science compounds and chemicals with data directly from the supplier into Elsevier’s Reaxys chemistry database.

In September, Spectrum Chemical Mfg. signed a US distribution agreement with Cole-Parmer.