Optima X Series Ultracentrifuges to Increase Productivity and Reduce Costs

New Optima X Series preparative ultracentrifuges from Beckman Coulter, Inc. incorporate an array of technical features to enhance the user experience, increase productivity and reduce costs.

A large touchscreen display on all Optima X Series products offers a selection of nine languages so that speakers of English, Japanese, German, Chinese (simplified), Korean, Spanish, French, Italian and Russian can work in their native language. The screen is big enough to be visible from across the lab and is easy to operate, even with gloved hands. Clean, intuitive design and on-screen help make it easy to use even for inexperienced workers. Real-time graphing plots speed and temperature over time as a run progresses.

Enhanced remote control capabilities allow the ultracentrifuges to be monitored from a personal computer or a smart phone. Users, therefore, do not have to stay in the lab or continuously go to the lab during a run. Should on-board diagnostics sense a problem or out-of-parameter condition, an email can be sent to the user as an alert, a feature that is exclusive to Beckman Coulter. High-level security and tracking features enable users in regulated environments to track run history and to keep run logs, and new electronic signature capabilities can be used to approve a run.

Regenerative braking captures the energy generated in slowing the rotor and applies it back to the lab’s local circuit, reducing overall energy costs. When powered on but not running, the unit requires the same energy as a 60-watt incandescent bulb, further increasing energy efficiency. Optima X Series ultracentrifuges reach a maximum speed of 100,000 rpm and generate forces up to 802,000 x g. With noise output of less than 51 dBa, this is the quietest floor model ultracentrifuge available today.

“Using an intuitive user interface, interactive communication tools and advanced engineering to recapture energy makes Optima X Series ultracentrifuges user-friendly in more ways than one,” said David Rolwing, Beckman Coulter’s ultracentrifuge product manager. “Providing the latest technology developments on the most reliable ultracentrifuge platform offers users additional value.”

Optima X Series instruments are available in two models: the XE, which delivers all of the basic features required to quickly set up and complete a run, and the XPN, which includes all features of the XE plus networking capability, on-board simulation tools and a variety of customizable security and tracking features. The XE is available in 90,000 and 100,000 rpm configurations, while the XPN is offered in 80,000, 90,000 and 100,000 rpm configurations.