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Instrument Overview

Before setting up the FLO i8 instrument, review component names and locations.

Front View

FLO i8 Front View

LED Indicator

The LED indicator glows various colors, each indicating a different instrument status during software operation:

Color	Description
Blue	Initializing, this may take a minute or two.
Multi-color	System is idle.
Green	Busy or running a protocol.
Yellow	Paused during protocol execution.
Red	An error has occurred.

Power Button

The power button turns the FLO i8 instrument on and off. This button glows various colors to indicate different statuses:

Color	Description
Red (Blinking)	The instrument is connected to the power source and powering up. At this stage, you can press the button and wait until the instrument initializes.
Red (Solid)*	The instrument has been powered up and is ready for initialization. You can press the button to activate the instrument.
Green (Blinking)	The instrument is initializing or shutting down. It may take a few seconds.
Green (Solid)*	The instrument is active and ready to connect with the software. Refer to the LED indicator for the software status.
Multicolor (Fast-blinking)	An unrecoverable error has occurred. Please contact FORMULATRIX support by emailing support@formulatrix.com to get technical assistance.

*See the Getting Started with FLO i8 for more information on how to turn on the instrument.

Door

The transparent door keeps the deck and labware safe. You can easily see through the door to monitor what is happening on the deck.

Note: For safety reasons, the FLO i8 instrument will automatically pause when the door is open. Before pausing, FLO i8 will finish any ongoing task, after which the deck will be automatically moved toward the user. The protocol will not resume until you close the door.

Next Level Tips®

There are three types of FLO i8 Next Level Tips® pipette tips:

F20 with 0.5 to 20 µL of volume range
F200 with 5 to 200 µL of volume range
F1000 with 10 to 1000 µL of volume range

These pipette tips come with filters and are PCR-Grade (tested RNAse-free).


F20	F200	F1000

The Next Level Tips® are packed in a tip box that holds 96 pipette tips.

Waste Bin

The waste bin is located at the left side of the deck, where the FLO i8 disposes of used tips. To prevent the tips from being piled up in the middle, magnetic waste feet are installed above the bin. This component evenly distributes the used tips to maximize the waste bin space. Make sure to empty the waste bin when it is full. Pull the waste bin door to remove the used pipette tips from the waste bin.

You can find the ID tag on the inner-right side of the waste bin. It includes the instrument’s serial number, voltage, frequency, max power, build date, and CE marking.

Instrument’s ID Tag Inside the Waste Bin

Pipette Channels

There are 8 Pipette Channels that handle the liquid aspiration and dispense processes. The nozzle at the end of each channel interfaces with the disposable pipette tips, maintaining an airtight seal.

The rightmost channel is equipped with a vision camera. There are also four sensing systems on each channel: the Pressure, Resistance, Collision, and Liquid Breach Sensors.

Pressure Sensor — Allows the pipetting algorithm to adjust the parameters in a real time, based on the liquid properties, such as viscosity. Pressure sensors also detect the liquid level and are used to assess any possible errors in the pipetting process.
Resistance Sensor — In conjunction with the Next Level Tips, the resistance sensor detects the liquid surface as well as liquid level change when the volume increases or decreases in the well during aspirate and dispense.
Collision Sensor — Ensures that the channels pause when a pipette tip collides with the labware during aspirate and dispense to prevent the system from damage. The Pipetting Error Detection window will automatically appear in the FLO i8 software for troubleshooting. The collision sensor also detects the bottom-well and side-well of the labware during dispense at the well side or tip touch off.
Liquid Breach Sensor — Detects over-aspiration of liquid into the pipetting channel. If liquid reaches this sensor, the valve pump automatically stops, preventing liquid from entering the pneumatic system.

The 8 Pipette Channels in FLO i8

Deck

The FLO i8 deck holds everything you need to run an experiment, including labware and tips. The deck consists of 10 slots that will securely hold the tip box and plates that you want to use, with a maximum height of 140 mm. Each slot is compatible with almost all Society for Biomolecular Screening (SBS) standardized labware types. The FLO i8 also provides 3 adaptor racks for 1.5, 15, and 50 mL conical tubes.

The deck is also equipped with deck markers located on each slot to facilitate the vision camera on the rightmost channel. This camera automatically detects any labware or tip box on the deck. Each deck marker has a unique pattern to differentiate one slot to another. This way, FLO i8 channels will only dispense thoroughly to the available labwares based on your experiment design.

FLO i8 Deck with Deck Markers

Back View

FLO i8 Back View

Dust Filters

The dust filter removes particulates from the air entering the system.

Condensation Drain

Some condensation might occur in the pressure and vacuum reservoirs inside the FLO i8 instrument during operation. The condensation drain collects the moisture and allows it to evaporate without harming the instrument.

Pump Ventilation

The pump ventilation releases the heat and airflow generated by the pressure and vacuum pumps.

Connection Panel

The connection panel consists of the following components:

Serial Port (for Support) — This port is specifically used by Support personnel for debugging.
USB Ports — The USB ports are where you can plug your USB flash drive for data backup purposes.
Ethernet Port — Plug the ethernet cable to this port to connect the FLO i8 system wired network to your computer.
Power Switch — The power switch turns the FLO i8 on and off.
Power Port — The power port is where you plug in the power cable. See also, Electrical Requirements.