The GenePix family of microarray scanners has long been hailed as the
industry leader in performance, features and ease-of-use. Now, the
GenePix® Professional 4200A
scanner sets an even higher standard for microarray instrumentation with its
powerful set of new and enhanced features designed for superior performance,
multispectral imaging and high duty-cycle usage.
Frequently we hear from customers of our competitors that they regret the day
they didn't buy a GenePix—please read the following features carefully as you
consider your next purchase of such an important research instrument. We're
proud to say that you won't be disappointed when you buy a GenePix scanner!
Choosing Your GenePix Scanner
The performance and many features of the different GenePix models are similar, so
check the GenePix Scanner Comparison Table
to see the key differences.
New
Improved performance from the industry-leader in quality
Four-color system for multispectral imaging applications
16-position emission filter wheel for enhanced flexibility
Complete software analysis package included with every scanner
Features
Axon Instruments Innovation and Quality
Established reputation as the premier quality scanner company
Developed with key contributions from academic leaders in the field of microarray research
The same elegant, efficient and functional design as our previous scanners from an award-winning industrial design team
Employs industry-leading ultra-low noise digitization technology pioneered by Axon Instruments over the last 20 years
Ideal balance of powerful and flexible features with ease-of-use and accessibility considerations
GenePix Professional scanner includes one license of industry-leading GenePix Pro image acquisition and analysis software. Additional GenePix Pro and Acuity microarray informatics software licenses may also be purchased with the scanner.
Full-function demonstration version of powerful Acuity visualization and database microarray analysis software to "try before you buy"
Fast, friendly and professional service from our experienced team of sales and technical support personnel
Four Color Scanning
Simultaneous installation of up to four lasers
Employs solid-state diode and gas lasers that are internally installed into one compact bench-top unit
Choose from a substantially broader choice of dyes, such as fluorescein, GFP, Texas Red or the Alexa Fluor® dyes
Laser Power Attenuation
Gradient neutral density filter allowing 5-100% laser transmission in 1% increments
Allows for maximum flexibility in balancing channel intensities
Ultra-sensitive PMT detector for substantially greater sensitivity than white-light CCD systems—5 or 10 times higher signal-to-noise (SNR) values, as predicted by theory and measured in practice
Greater SNR results in ability to use lower PMT settings and avoid saturating pixels—known to confound subsequent higher-order microarray analysis (such as clustering)
Unparalleled sensitivity means lower laser power settings can be reliably used without degrading SNR
Remarkably Compact
With a footprint of 43 x 65 cm, still compact enough to fit on a bench-top for space economy
Since all lasers are internally-installed, there are no separate, space-consuming Argon or Krypton ion lasers and cooling systems to accommodate
Accessible Emission Filter Wheel
Provides an even greater degree of flexibility in dye selection
Innovative and elegant design allows easy access for filter installation
Twelve open positions available plus four reserved for factory-installed filters for a total of sixteen emission filter positions
Upgrades and Service
Includes standard one-year factory service warranty
Service Agreements to extend the warranty coverage is available at time of purchase or any time before warranty expires
Unlimited Ph.D.-level technical support at no charge
Field installation of any laser upgrade is available
Scanning Resolution & Flexibility
Maximize feature sampling with user-selectable scan resolutions between 5 and 100 microns
Use the 40-micron Preview scan to obtain a reference image or to balance channel settings
Prevent photobleaching and save time using the new rescan feature—the reacquisition of one or more channels without having to rescan all channels again
Designed for High Duty-Cycle Usage
Ideal for high-usage laboratories and microarray core facilities in academic, biotechnology and pharmaceutical environments
High duty cycle motors for maximum translation and focus motor lifetimes
Weight and balance are designed to minimize vibration and optimize heat dissipation
All lasers undergo extensive quality control testing procedures by both the manufacturer and Axon Instruments
Enhanced Performance Features
Incredibly low values for rotational non-uniformity at ±4%
On-the-fly intensity correction circuitry to correct for minor laser fluctuations inherent in all lasers
Decreased per channel scan time, approximately four minutes per channel (full size image at 10 µm scan resolution)
Improved analytical methods for higher density arrays
Four minutes per channel for full size scan area at 10 µm resolution
Dynamic range:
Four orders of magnitude; using a proprietary dilution series slide to determine the lower range of detection where minimum signal-to-noise value is greater than 3.0
Rotational Uniformity:
Less than ±4% non-uniformity. Values were obtained by comparing difference in fluorescence intensity of proprietary standard scanned in one orientation, then rotated 180° and scanned again
Lasers
Standard Configuration
Red and green two-color system for use with popular Alexa Fluor® and CyDyes™
Solid-state diode or diode-pumped continuous-wave lasers
Red laser: 635 nm centered wavelength
Green laser: 532 nm centered wavelength
Optional lasers
Blue and Yellow laser installations are also available for a total of four internally-installed lasers.
Blue Laser
Premier solid-state blue continuous-wave laser
Miniature size permits internal installation (dimensions are 125 x 70 mm)
Extreme power stability and lifetime
488 nm centered wavelength
Yellow Laser
Compact HeNe continuous-wave gas laser
Well-established technology known for durability and long life
Fiber optic coupled
594 nm centered wavelength
Physical Characteristics
Dimensions:
43 cm (16.9") x 65 cm (25.6") x 34 cm (13.4") (WxDxH)
Weight:
45 kg (99 lb)
Power supply:
Line voltage: 85 to 264 VAC (110 to 340 VDC) universal voltage input
Line frequency:
50-60 Hz
Power:
150 W
Fuse:
2.0 A slow. 5 x 20 mm
Safety Regulatory Standards
Electromagnetic Emissions: EN 55011 61326 04:1997
Electromagnetic Immunity: EN 50082-2 61326 04:1997
Low Voltage Directive: EN 61010
Laser Safety: EN 60825-1
Electrical Safety: UL 3101-1
CSA 1010
CE Marked
SA Marked
Software
The GenePix Professional 4200A includes one license of GenePix® Pro, the industry-leading microarray image acquisition and first-pass analysis software. You may also purchase additional licenses of GenePix Pro or licenses of Acuity®, a powerful and scalable database, statistical and data visualization software package, at the time of scanner purchase, or at any time afterwards.
GenePix Pro:
Integrated package for one-step image acquisition and analysis
Industry-standard Axon file formats GenePix Array List (GAL) and GenePix Results (GPR) files
Find and analyze features of any shape—elliptical, square, and arbitrary irregular
Additional metrics and visualization tools for quality control analysis
Export results as MAGE-ML files
Seamlessly export results to Acuity database
Widely acclaimed for its ease-of-use and as the most popular microarray analysis software available
See the GenePix Pro page for complete information.
Acuity:
Fast, scalable SQL database for individual or enterprise-level users
Comprehensive statistical analysis, normalization, clustering and visualization features
GenePix is fully functional with the Minimum computer requirements. However, satisfactory performance
depends on the size of the files you will generate. The RAM and hard disk configuration is the most
critical. If you plan to scan areas smaller than a full slide, or to scan regularly at 10 µm
resolution, the Minimum requirements will provide satisfactory performance of all GenePix Pro features.
However, if you plan to scan full slides at 5 µm, or if you plan to run other applications
simultaneously, we strongly suggest the Recommended configuration. Computer workstations purchased
from Molecular Devices will meet or exceed the Recommended configuration.
Computer - Minimum
IBM-compatible computer with an Intel Pentium “Dual Core” processor 1.6 GHz or faster.
Windows XP or Vista 32-bit edition operating system
Memory requirements:
Full-size scan region at 5 µm resolution: 1 GB RAM for two colors; 2 GB for three or more colors
10 µm scanning or partial-size scan regions at 5 µm resolution: 512 MB RAM for two colors; 768 MB for three or more colors
40 GB hard drive (for image storage)
Available full-size PCI slot for SCSI adapter (Note: the provided PCI SCSI adapter will not fit in a low-profile or slimline case)
Integrated Video Card.
Optical drive with CD read and write capabilities (CD-RW).
At least 1 free USB port or network connection (for the USB hardware protection key)*
1080 x 1024 display
Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher
Computer - Recommended
IBM-compatible computer with an Intel “Core 2” processor 2.0 GHz or faster
Windows XP or Vista 32-bit edition operating system.
2 GB RAM or more.
Dedicated Video Card 128MB or greater.
80 GB hard drive (for image storage)
Available full-size PCI slot for SCSI adapter (Note: the provided PCI SCSI adapter will not fit in a low-profile or slimline case)
Optical Drive with DVD and CD read and write capabilities (DVD+/-RW)
At least 1 free USB port or network connection (for the USB hardware protection key)*
Internet access (for faster version updates and troubleshooting)
1280 x 1024 display system with 16M colors
Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1
*If your computer does not have a free USB port but has a network connection you can specify a network hardware protection key when ordering GenePix Pro.
Configurations
Standard two-color configuration:
Single-slide manual loader
635 nm solid-state laser and red emission filter, installed
532 nm solid-state laser and green emission filter, installed
SCSI card, included
Filter mounting rings (15) and filter tool, included
Options:
488 nm solid-state InGaAs laser and blue emission filter, installed
594 nm HeNe fiber-coupled ion laser and yellow emission filter, installed
Additional emission filters:
See table
or speak to our sales personnel. If not listed in the table,
custom-made filters can be ordered directly from a filter supplier, such as
Chroma,
Omega Optical, or
Semrock. Specify 12.5 mm
mounted filters, the laser excitation source and also indicate that it will be used
with a GenePix Professional 4200A scanner from Axon Instruments, Inc.
Field and Factory Upgrades
Additional lasers can be installed in the field for the list price of parts plus
labor and expenses. Appointments are made based on field technician availability.
Laser installations can also be performed by returning unit to the factory.
Contact our sales department for more information about laser upgrades.
Includes one license of industry-leading GenePix Pro image acquisition and analysis software. Additional GenePix Pro and Acuity microarray informatics software licenses may also be purchased with the scanner.
Available in multiple configurations. All packages include the GenePix Professional 4200A
scanner, SCSI adapter, cables, and unlimited technical support.
Available with a fully configured Dell computer with GenePix Professional 4200A hardware
and GenePix Pro / Acuity software installed. This option is highly recommended.
Alexa Fluor® is a registered trademark of Molecular Probes. CyDyes™ is a trademark of Amersham Biosciences.
The GenePix family of microarray scanners has long been hailed as the
industry leader in performance, features and ease-of-use. Now, the
Blue and Yellow laser installations are also available for a total of four internally-installed lasers.
