FAQs

Take these steps:

1. Turn the MANTIS instrument off.

2. Reconnect the USB cable on MANTIS USB port to your computer. Make sure it is connected properly, and then restart the instrument.

3. Ensure the proper drivers are installed from the MANTIS software downloads page.

4. Next, run the software; the indicator box should be green after it has detected the instrument.

5. If the problem persists, please check your instrument version and don’t hesitate to contact FORMULATRIX support.

The MANTIS is capable of handling liquids with viscosities up to approximately 25 cP. Using the 21-25 cP liquid class or a custom liquid class, MANTIS may be able to dispense liquids over 25 cP. The 21-25 cP settings are for HV chips only. For more information about liquid classes in MANTIS, see Liquid Classes.

As your reagents’ viscosity might vary from <1 cP (very low) to >25 cP (very high), selecting the correct chip nozzle size and liquid class for your reagents is critical to achieve optimal dispense quality.

As a general rule, more viscous reagents (glycerol, PEG, etc.) are best dispensed through smaller nozzles and less viscous reagents (alcohols, detergents, surfactants, etc.) are dispensed best through larger nozzles. Small nozzle inner diameter (ID) creates more backpressure, resulting in a higher liquid ejection velocity, whereas larger nozzles cause a "softer" dispense.

Use the following plots to guide your nozzle selection process. All nozzle sizes under the curves have been tested to work for the specified reagent viscosity. Nozzle sizes falling above the shaded area are not recommended. These recommendations were generated using glycerol and will not be definitive for all reagents as fluid properties can vary widely.

MANTIS LV Chip’s Nozzle Size Guide Chart

MANTIS HV Chip’s Nozzle Size Guide Chart

When dispensing with Continuous Flow (CF) chips, a larger nozzle results in higher flow rates.he nozzle vs viscosity chart for HV chips is a good reference for CF chips.

For more information on the MANTIS chip’s nozzle size, see MANTIS Chip's Nozzle Kits Catalog.