The Suction-type 96-well Microplate Bead Loader works by vacuuming up 0.4 milliliter of 0.1 to 1.0 mm diameter spherical ceramic beads (glass, zirconia/silica, or zirconia) into a 96 nozzle manifold where they are retained, under suction, against stainless steel screens.  Still under suction, the loader is moved to a "receiving" 96-deep-well microplate and the suction unit is turned off with a footswitch.  No longer under suction, the beads drop into the receiving microplate.  Typically, the process of loading a microplate only takes a few seconds and, if additional beads are required in the microplate wells, the process is repeated.

Some beads are not compatible with this loader: Beads greater than 1.0 mm in diameter are too large and clog the nozzles and metal beads are too heavy to be drawn up into the manifold nozzles. Irregular shaped "beads" such as silicon-carbide or granite particles get stuck inside the nozzles.  These bead limitations do not exist with our Flip and Fill Bead Loader and the "Labtie" Gravity Bead Loader, but loading rates (number of microplates loaded per minute) are slower.  The Microplate Bead Loader can be decontaminated with 10% household bleach, isopropanol,ultraviolet light or ozone  Avoid high temperatures of an autoclave.