LEADseeker - High-throughput imaging system
GE Healthcare's LEADseeker Imaging Systems are high-throughput imaging systems with multiple detection modalities for primary screening.
Features:
- Format free - read any plate type or density (96, 384, 1536 etc)
- Miniaturization - Save on reagent costs by moving to 384, 1536 format assays using a single instrument
- Speed - reduce time per screen
- Ease-of-use with intuitive software and hardware
- Easy integration - system is fully flexible with a wide range of plate loading automation solutions
Key benefits:
- Multimodality - one instrument for multiple detection modalities
- Single system solution with no compromise on performance - all modalities provide required sensitivity
- Matched reagents - SPA imaging beads, CyDyes™ and HitHunter™ kits
- Dedicated support - for both instrument and applications
LEADseeker Multimodality Imaging System detects:
- Radiometric assays, using SPA Imaging beads
- Luminescent assays
- Fluorescence intensity & fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)
- Time resolved fluorescence (TRF)
- Fluorescence polarization
Read more in
LEADseeker Product BrochureLEADseeker - High-throughput 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.
A comprehensive solution
Matched reagents: Proprietary red-shifted SPA Imaging Beads are available for radiometric assays and CyDye™ fluors for fluorescence assays.
Service, training, & support: Comprehensive training and support plus a range of instrument service contract options are available.
System details
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.
| TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS |
| Digital camera | High grade, back-illuminated CCD; 16-bit, 65 K levels
Cooled to -103°C |
| Telecentric lens | Aperture f 1.04; allows ~ 80% transmission to the CCD chip |
| Plate transport time | < 20 s for total entry and exit time |
| Light Sources | Quartz tungsten halogen
Xenon flash lamp |
| Detection limits |
| Radiometric assays | 215 dpm in 384-well plates, 54 dpm in 1536-well plates |
| Luminescence | 0.8 fM firefly luciferase in 384-well microplates |
| Fluorescence polarization | 0.1 nM fluorescein (SD < 10 mP) in 384-well plate |
| Fluorescence intensity | < 40 pM fluorescein in 384-well plate |
| Time-resolved fluorescence | 500 fM in 384-well plate |
| 50 µl volumes used in all 384-well plates |
| Dimensions |
| Imaging unit ( W × H × D) | 602 × 1226 × 724 mm |
| Services cabinet (with castors) | 785 × 820 × 605 mm |
| Weight |
| Imaging unit (radiometric) | 137 kg (109 kg) |
| Services cabinet | 142 kg |
| Software |
| AssayVision V6.0 or later | Compatible with Windows™ 2000 and XP |
| Safety certifications |
| Complies with: | The Low Voltage Directive (73/23/EEC)
Electromagnetic Compatibility (89/336/EEC)
EN61010-1 "Safety Requirements for electrical equipment for measurement control and laboratory use."
EN61326 "Electrical equipment for measurement control and laboratory use¾EMC requirements." |
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.
LEADseeker - High-throughput imaging system
Automated solutions for enhanced productivity
GE Healthcare offers a complete, automated solution for customer-specific applications that simplifies the often challenging process of building an automated laboratory and removes the complications of trying to integrate multiple units from a variety of vendors.
The solution from GE Healthcare includes:
- Products
- Consultation and integration services
- Service and support, as required
This approach offers multiple benefits to improve overall productivity for LEADseeker users:
Feature
- All systems performance validated and pre-tested
- Coordinated reader & robot supply
- Single point of contact for service & support
- System consultancy & design
Benefit
- Quicker start-up and reduced risk
- Less resource required
- Reduced down-time
- Increased confidence
LEADseeker - High-throughput imaging system
Behind the scenes
Labcrew™ delivers the background technical maintenance, expertise and service that keep your LEADseeker™ Imaging System running smoothly:
- Preventative maintenance
- Instrument repair
- Software and hardware upgrades
Behind the science
Maintain your productivity and limit your downtime. We deliver a service agreement based on the value of your investment and your individual requirements for service support options.
Behind your success
Your investment in our equipment is backed by our support to the highest standards.
Warranty & service contract details
Standard Warranty
LEADseeker is supplied with a 12-month standard warranty to cover manufacturing defects only, with a 5 working day response time. It is recommended, however that you purchase a higher level of cover with a more rapid response time from one of our other agreements, as outlined here.
Service Agreements
A summary of the support level offered with each service agreement option is given in the table below:
Customized Service Agreements
Customized agreements can be designed to suit customer needs:
- Response time
- Coverage e.g. 7 days per week
- Instrument moves
- Extra preventive maintenance/certification visits
- Training
- Spare parts (e.g.specific parts can be excluded)
Please
contact your local service organization for a quotation.
LEADseeker - High-throughput imaging system
To maximize the potential of LEADseeker™ and to help you get up and running quickly, GE Healthcare provides a training course which addresses the breadth of imaging modalities employed in high throughput screening.
The following are offered on purchase of an instrument, plus refresher training courses are also available:
LEADseeker Multimodality training
This is an intensive 2-day course at the customer's site, and focuses on the operation of all the instrument modalities with the aim of training customers to confidently use their instrument.
Day 1: Intro, software, radiometric & luminescent modalities
- Introduction to LEADseeker Multimodality for all modalities (presentation format) - basic overview and technical characteristics of imaging.
- Introduction to Multimodality (instrument based) - set-up hardware, filter manager and filter changing
- Introduction to software
- Establishing a protocol in SPA and luminescence modes
Day 2: Fluorescence modalities: SSF, TRF, FP
- Establishing a Fluorescent intensity protocol
- Establishing a Fluorescence polarization protocol
- Establishing a Time Resolved fluorescence protocol
LEADseeker - High-throughput imaging system
GE Healthcare provides pro-active scientific support in addition to rapid response for your immediate needs. We will visit your facilities, use teleconferencing and our Bio InSite remote technology to ensure we are always accessible.
Utilizing a mix of field-based and laboratory-based staff we maintain technical excellence and deep knowledge of our products and systems. Our teams are located around the world supporting all time zones, reaching to the US, Europe, Japan, Asia and Australia.
