Hardware 1. I plan to startdoingfluorescent-based EliSpot assays but want to be able tohandletraditional EliSpots as well. Is this possible with one ofyourmachines? Yes,the newAIDiSpot Reader can cope with both typeofapplications. One mouse click in the software and one singleswitchin the hardware and you are ready for the future inEliSpot. -back- 2. My lab uses several differentplateformats. How complex is the plate-calibration process withyourmachine? The calibration ofanElispot plate can be done within one minute. A given brandofplate usually needs to be calibrated only once,thenthe calibration file can be stored. Use the loadcalibrationfunction to easily switch between differnt typesofplates. -back- 3. How long does it take to read a96wellplate? With thestandardresolution system a plate can be processed within 3 min,includingreading the plate, counting and analysing theplate.Processing with a high resolution system maytake slightlylonger. The AID Reader is still thefastest EliSpotmachine on the market. -back- 4. What is the camera resolution inyoursystems ? AID EliSpot Readersrelyon high-end CCD chips with outstanding signal-to-noise ratiosandequally competent optics. We offer machines with differentcameraresolutions. The standard system which is sufficient foralmost allEliSpot applications is equipped with a 656x494 Color CCDchip. Forspecial applications (e.g. two-color EliSpot) you may wantto usethe AID EliSpot HR System (1392x1040 Color CCD Chip) or eventheAID EliSpot HR-XL System (2048x2048 color CCDChip). -back- 5. Most of the time I'm happy withthestandard resolution of the AID camera but sometimes I need ahigherresolution. Is this possible with your machine? Yes, all AIDHR-EliSpotSystems have the possibility to adjust the resolution ofthe camerain the count settings. Higher resolution images- more pixelsperimage- give a more accurate recognition and calculation ofspots,but the image files are larger and image analysis is not asfast(but still fast enough). Lower resolution images areprocessedfaster and take up less space on you hard disk or othermedia.Please note that the quality of the image is not determinedby theresolution alone but also by the amount of “noise” inthepicture. -back- 6. How do you control the focus ofthecamera? The focus on all AIDELR04EliSpot Readers is controlled via the software. Older readerscarrya focus knob on the lid of the reader. We will upgrade yoursystemon demand. Focusing can be done on any well of theplate. -back- 7. Can the AIDReaderSystem read other types of plate?
The AIDEliSpotReader System is very versatile and can read any type of96-wellplate including low-volume. If you need to read 6, 12, 24or 48 wellplates, we can offer you our ViruSpot Reader with fulloptical zoomcapability, allowing you to read and interpret viralplaque assaysas well as transwell assays. -back- 8. Do you do well authentication?
In a closed-box reader, you never know if the reader keepstakingimages of the same well or whether it gets all the wellsmixed up.You need to go to some length to prove it doesn't. The AIDEliSpotReaders are all open in the front so the stage movement canbemonitored. Also it is controlled and matched against themasterlot. -back- 9. Why don't you includeunderplateillumination in your readers?
Why don't you readanewspaper on a lightbox? We at AID believe that it is not usefultohave an underfloor illumination for a normal Elispotanalysis,since the bottoms of the wells are usually covered by amembrane.However, we have the technolgy in hands and equip thesemachineswith underfloor illumination where it's needed (e.g.AIDColony-Counter Robotic Machines for counting of MOs onagerplates). -back- 10. What about stray light? Why isn'tyourreader a closed box?
Stray light is not an issue. Wetestthis. The new Immunofluorescent EliSpot reader is equipped withacover to avoid external light. If you are afraid of stray lightwecan upgrade your normal AID reader with a cover as well. Inthiscase please contact our technical support. -back- Software 11.AnotherEliSpot manufacturer has recently released a new softwareversionwhich allows you to analyse the complete area of a well andnotonly a restricted area as it was before in their software.Doesyour software support this feature as well? Yes,the AID softwareis able to display the complete area of all wellssince the veryfirst version of the software in 1996. If necessarythe Area ofInterest can be adjusted by the user to excludeunwanted areas or toinclude the rims of the well. Allmanipulations can be done for thecomplete plate or for selectedwells only. -back- 12. Do youofferadditional software modules which I can buy separately such asastatistics module, a QC module etc.? No, we at AIDbelievethat we should not charge you for every single softwarefeature.Buying the AID Reader System means buying a completesystem with acomplete software at once, without anyadditionalcosts. -back- 13. Can Iinsertexternal data such us cell number, antigen typeetc.? Yes, thelayoutmodule of the software version 4.0 allows for insertingvariousexternal data. Layouts can be stored for further use andcan also belinked to rules generated by the rulecompiler. -back- 14. Can theAIDreader be used in a routine lab? The possibilitytoinsert external data and rules for every well makes the AIDEliSpotsystem the machine of choice in any diagnostic lab. Tofurtherfulfill your needs we provide several pre-written layoutsandVBA-modules. -back- 15. What doestheRCA-button mean in your software? The RCA-button(Read,Count and Analyse) was introduced in the software version4.0 and isthe fastest way to come from your raw data to a finalresult withjust one mouse click. The machine will read the plateaccording tothe camera settings, count the plate according to thecount settingsand finally analyse the plate according to the flagsand rulescoming from the layout and the rule compiler. There is nofaster wayto handle an EliSpot assay. -back- 16. Willyoursoftware automatically help me in finding correctcountsettings? Yes, sinceversion4.0 of the AID EliSpot software we have implemented thefunction“countAID”, which helps to find correct count setting inacompletely automatic way. However, we suggest to use themanualway, since a machine can never be so good in findingappropriatesettings as a human being. The count setting dialog inthe AIDsoftware is very easy to use, allowing the user to find goodcountsettings within seconds. -back- 17. Canthesoftware exclude unwanted areas in a well and re-analyse thispartaccording to the results in the rest of the well? Nothis is notpossible. The AID EliSpot software was designed tocount an EliSpotplate in the same manner but faster as a humanbeing would do.Therefore the software should not be able to create“black boxes” inyour analysis. Of course you can edit/deletesmaller artifactsmanually. -back- 18. Can youre-countfrom stored files?
The AIDEliSpotSoftware permits uninterrupted, walk-away counting of anindefinitenumber of plate files, saving the files to a newdestinationfolder. -back- 19. Can youdomulti-parameter analysis?
IntheAID EliSpot Software you can assign dedicated settings toeachwell, so that a plate with more than one cytokine canbeinterpreted with appropriate settings- in one run, of course. -back- 20. Canthemachine do dual color analysis? Werecommend using ahigh-resolution reader for dual color. Readingtwo or more colorassays is performed through user-defined classesof spots. There isan additional “Two-color”-button in the countsettings dialog fieldto facilitate two-color work. However, wesuggest doing two-colorassays on a fluorescent-labelled basis.Since spring 2006 AID offersan iSpot Reader, which can dotraditional EliSpot andfluorescent-based EliSpots without anyhardwaremanipulations. -back- 21. How can Igethelp on the software? TheAID softwareversion 4.0 comes with an extensive interactivesoftware helppackage. Beside the online manual there is a QuickGuide whichdescribes all important functions in detail. The QuickGuide isavailable in electronic as well as printed form and can beorderedin different languages. To further facilitate your work thesoftwarecomes with several Top Issues which describes the mostimportantfunctions in separate files supported by electronicmovies. Allelectronic manuals are working with hyper linktechnology for easynavigation. -back- Data export 22. How do you handledataexport? We export to text,Excel,database, vbs script and on demand to any laboratory softwaresuchus the Laboratory Management Information System (LIMS). Inadditionthere is a very flexible export possibility to theVBA-Excelapplication EliStat (see point 23) -back- 23. Is there only one limited way toexportto Excel? No, the software givesyouthe choice to export to MS Excel in either a list format or inaplate format. In addition the user has the choice to selectwhichparameters should be exported and which not. If you need amorespecialised export to Excel you can use theEliStatfunction. -back- 24. I need my EliSpot data in a veryspecialExcel format to do some statistical analysis. Can I do thiswithyour software? Yes, you can haveyourElispot data in any Excel format you like. For this use theEliStatfunction of the program. Ask us to write you a personalEliStatmodul which suits your needs and link it to the AID softwarewithonly one mouse click. You can also write the VBA Excel codebyyourself. AID will equip the PCs with pre-written EliStatmoduleswhich can be used for example in diagnostic labs (e.g.anTuberculose Module to analyse the T-Spot TB assay) or forsomestatistical assays. -back- 25. Do you only store images injpg?
Images are stored in jpg or tiff or bitmap.High-quality jpg imagesare virtually indistinguishable from tiff.If you need losslessimages, we offer tiff with LZW compression. Ifyou want to conservedrive space, use jpg. E.g., if you want tomail a plate file withall the images to a colleague fordiscussion, they won't thank youfor filling up their email inboxwith tons of image data. We offercompressed jpg for this. -back- 26. I need to give a talk about myEliSpotresults. Does your software help me in this?
AIDoffersadvanced features for presentation of data in talks orprintpublications including well images with or without commentsandheadings, graphs, tables, screenshots and more. -back- Validation Issues 27. There is anewguideline in the European community that only CEcertificatedinstruments are allowed to be sold in the EU. Mypurchasingdepartment has asked me to buy a system with a CEcertification. Dothe AID machines carry this CE certificationlabel? Yes,since AID is CEcertificated as a company all products from AIDcarry the CEcertification and may therefore be sold and used inthe EuropeanCommunity without any problems. -back- 28. Areyoursystems FDA 21CFR part 11 compliant? We complywithfederal regulation in more than one way. We have tieredusermanagement, audit trail data and more features we will be happytodemonstrate to customers. Two unique features are plate history(aminiature audit trail per plate) and the use of the AID masterlotin an automated QC step to insure unbiasedreading. -back- 29. Our lab will start a long term clinical trial. Do you offer some kind of Quality Control (QC) for your readers? All AIDEliSpotreaders are equipped with a Masterplate and a QC-softwaremodulewith which you can frequently check the performance of themachine(camera). -back- Product support and warranty 30. Do you offer product support?
We support hundreds of readers on all continents, in someratherremote places, and for a number of years. Do not worryaboutsupport. -back- 31. Do you offer product supportafterwarranty? Of course AID offersservicecontracts and repair service after the two-year warrantyperiod.Contact us or a distributor about details. -back- 32. Do you offer on-lineproductsupport?
Yes, we offer online-support. Support access will be performedonlywith customer’s permission. We use Citrix GoToAssistremote-supportsolutions because they have a high level of securityarchitecture:end-to-end Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and 128-bitAdvancedEncryption Standard (AES) encryption. No unencryptedinformation isever stored on their or our systems. For details ontechnology andsecurity issues please visit http://www.gotoassist.com -back- |