LEADseeker Multimodality Imaging System

Multimodality: One instrument sensitively detects all popular screening assay formats: radioactive proximity assays, luminescence, fluorescence intensity and FRET, fluorescence polarization, and time-resolved fluorescence.

Sensitive and precise: Offers similar or better sensitivity to plate readers with increased precision (inter- and intra-plate).

Fast: Capable of screening >1.4 million compounds/day due to format-free imaging, rapid plate cycling, fast data acquisition time, and data read-out.

Miniaturization: Screening can be carried out in all plate formats, including 1536-well, giving large savings in reagent usage.

Ease of use: The instrument is almost exclusively controlled from the flexible and intuitive AssayVision™ software interface, which also contains proven and accurate quantitation algorithms for ease of data analysis and remote protocol calling (via automation). Open architecture offers choice of automation solution.

Matched reagents: CyDye™ fluors are available for fluorescence assays.

Service, training, & support: Comprehensive training and support plus a range of instrument service contract options are available

Technical specifications
LEADseeker uses a sophisticated telecentric lens and cooled digital camera with a highly sensitive charge coupled device (CCD) detector to capture high quality digital images of the assay signals within the microplate. Because the instrument stores an image of the whole microplate rather than reading wells sequentially, imaging times are the same for any microplate irrespective of plate density.

Consequently, greater throughput can be achieved by using higher density microplates such as 384- and 1536-well plates. Many assays have been successfully miniaturized to 1536-well format with reduction in volumes to 4-8 μl to provide huge savings in reagents, compound costs, and time. Data from these assays can also be easily processed with our AssayVison software, which is designed to quantitate data from 96-, 384-, and 1536-well microplate formats.

Fluorescence imaging in intensity and polarization modes is achieved through use of an efficient epi-illumination system incorporating a quartz tungsten halogen lamp light source and user-selectable excitation and emission filters for optimal detection of your dye of choice.

Filters
The instrument is supplied with a range of emission filters for most applications but there may be occasions when a new filter has to be added. Filters can be changed very easily as the specially designed barcoded filter cartridges can only be inserted into the five-position filter wheel in the correct orientation. Because the software also recognizes the barcodes the instrument knows the position of each filter and correct selection is assured during experiment set-up.

The filter cartridges offer further flexibility for design of filters for new dyes and applications as they can accommodate two and three inch diameter filters. Excitation and emission filters are supplied for optimal detection of radiometric and luminescence assays, and detection of fluorescein, Cy3, Cy3B, and Cy5 CyDye Fluors. Other filter sets are available.

Additional features
LEADseeker instruments also have other features such as very precise plate location mechanism, fast data acquisition, and data read-out times, which all contribute to increased throughput.