How fast do the Echo systems transfer plates?
Cycle time is the time required to replicate a single plate. The Echo 555 has a cycle time of about half of that of the Echo 550 (see the charts below.) However the time to replicate a single plate is not as important as the time to deliver a complete set of assay-ready wells. Fixed head replicators often require both tip washing and intermediate plate set-up that add time to the process. These steps are completely eliminated with ADE, resulting in faster assay-ready throughput. Some examples follow. Note that the analyses shown do not include reading barcodes, which adds approximately 1.5 seconds to the cycle time. In single-plate-to-single-plate replications, this would add an extra 3 seconds per cycle. Large differences in sample depth (volume) can also add to the cycle time because the transducer will spend significant time adjusting the Z-axis focal position. (Most plates have roughly equal volume per well, so this is rarely an issue.) Gradients in volume over the plate, or a havi
