Product Overview
Patented, Gentle Sorting Mechanism
The COPAS and BioSorter platforms are based on the basic principles of flow cytometry, however, they differ from traditional flow cytometers in two important design areas:
- First, the large-bore fluidics and flow cell can accommodate objects as large as 20 – 1,500 microns (10-1,500 for BioSorter) – which is much larger than standard flow cytometry instruments used for sorting eukaryotic single cells.
- The second difference is the heart of the COPAS technology. A patented pneumatic sorting mechanism, located right after the flow cell, sorts organisms and large cells with a puff of air. This sorting method is gentle enough to permit the collection of live biological materials. Most traditional flow cytometers use a mechanical sorting method or a large electrostatic charge which are potentially lethal to small organisms.
Diagram of the object flow path and COPAS/BioSorter sorting principle
These engineering design features permit larger objects such as multicellular organisms, small seeds, large cellular aggregates and bead based libraries to be analyzed and dispensed using a COPAS or BioSorter system. These instruments are also much faster than traditional bead pickers because samples are handled as a continuously flowing stream rather than one-at-a-time.
Objects flow from a continuously mixed sample cup to a pre-analysis chamber, where the sample is surrounded by a “sheath” solution to produce a stabilized laminar flow and focus the objects of interest in the center of the flow stream. Objects then pass through the flow cell where four optical parameters are measured for each organism.