Microplotter II

The SonoPlot® Microplotter II is a precision picoliter fluid dispensing system for the microarray and polymer electronics markets with significant advantages over existing products in deposited feature size and type, regularity of volumes dispensed, and flexibility for the user.

The core of the Microplotter is a dispenser that uses controlled ultrasonics to deposit fluid in a noncontact manner. This patented technology can produce picoliter droplets that form features on a surface as small as 5 µm wide. When combined with automatic surface height calibration, coefficients of variability for deposited feature diameters as small as 10% can be achieved. A wide range of fluids can be used, including aqueous solutions and many organic-solvent-based mixtures. Fluids that other dispensers struggle with, such as saturated solutions for MALDI-ToF matrices, or fluids with viscosities up to 450 cP, can be deposited with ease. The ultrasonic pumping action is also an efficient cleaning mechanism for quickly depositing many solutions sequentially.

In addition to spots, the Microplotter II can draw true continuous features, such as lines, arcs, and bends. These are uniform elements, not made from overlapping droplets like other technologies, and are particularly well-suited to the polymer electronics field.

Software

SonoPlot's SonoGuide control software is designed to be flexible and powerful, while still being easy to use.

Features of this software include:

Importing and printing of AutoCAD® DXF and Gerber layout files
A graphical preview of patterns as they are drawn, coupled with a live video feed from the printhead
Capturing still images or recording digital video from the attached CCD camera
CAD tools for drawing custom patterns
Controls for both completely manual and automatic movement and printing
Automatic surface tilt or curvature mapping
A human-readable text format for defining custom patterns

All updates to this software are free to system owners, and we pride ourselves on responding to customer feedback by regularly adding new capabilities and improving existing ones.

Microplotter II Specifications Download

Technical Specifications

 
         Feature Size
         5 µm - 200 µm
     
         Feature Types
         Droplets and contiguous lines, arcs and bends 
     
         Deposition Volume
         > 0.6 pL
     
         Deposition Variability
         As low as 10%
     
         Viscosity
         < 450 cP
     
         Positioning
         35 x 30 x 7 cm (X, Y, Z axes), 5 µm resolution
     
         Calibration
         Automatic surface height calibration 
     
         Camera
         USB 3.0 with digital video capture
     
         Software
         SonoGuide and SonoDraw
     
         Dimensions
         86.4 x 71.1 x 48.3 cm (34 x 28 x 19 in.)
     
         Weight 
         91 kg (200 lbs)
     
         Power
         3.0 A for 100-120 V or 1.5 A for 220-220 V