Feature Comparisons

Vortexers, or vortex mixers, gently agitate liquid samples by creating a vortex motion within the sample tube. Vortexers are composed of a drive shaft, oriented vertically, and connected to an electric motor, encased in a plastic or steel housing. The top end of the drive shaft protrudes from the housing and attaches to a micro-tube cup adapter or rack designed to accommodate microplates or multiple test tubes. Simple vortexers turn on automatically when a micro-tube, containing the sample, is pressed into the rubber cup. Advanced vortexers include analog or digital controllers with on/off switches, mixing speed controls, vortex timers, and alarms.

Laboratory homogenizers mix, blend or pulverize chemical and biological samples to form a uniform, homogenous suspension for further analysis. More specifically, homogenizers are used to lyse cellular structures, mill environmental samples, emulsify immiscible materials, and disperse chemical compounds by particle size.

Microplates, or microtiter plates, are designed to hold microliter aliquots of samples for analytical research and clinical diagnostic testing. 

Laboratory circulators and chillers precisely control the temperature of deionized water, bath fluid, or PH-neutral buffer for delivery to integrated or external water baths, analytical instruments, incubators, and wet processing stations.

Laboratory transilluminators,or gel light boxes, are used by life science labs to visualize DNA, RNA or protein samples separated throughgel electrophoresis. Lab transilluminators contain an ultraviolet UV) or visible blue or white) light source, glass viewing surface, UV-blocking or amber filter cover.

Laboratory ovens are composed of a heating element connected to a sample storage chamber and regulated by an analog or digital controller. While the internal storage chamber is commonly made from chemical-resistant, 304-grade stainless steel, the oven exterior is regularly made from corrosion-resistant, durable powder-coated steel. 

Laboratory and medical-grade refrigerators are manufactured in a broad range of sizes, from benchtop models smaller than 6 cubic feet to upright, double-door models larger than 40 cubic feet. Refrigerators smaller than 6 cubic feet are designed to fit on crowded work surfaces or under pharmacy counters to provide point-of-use cold storage for media, reagents, or vaccines.

High-capacity, upright refrigerators include microprocessor controls to maintain precise, uniform conditions throughout the storage area to prevent sample spoilage due to temperature fluctuations. Double-door and triple-door refrigerators isolate samples from different production batches to prevent cross-contamination and exposure during refrigerator access.

Laboratory mixers consist of an oscillating, motorized platform, designed to hold flasks, beakers, or tubes, installed onto a stabilizing base and connected to an analog or digital controller to regulate the movement and speed of the platform. 

Unlike high-speed lab shakers or vortexers, which mix samples in orbital or vortex motions, mixers gently agitate samples in linear rocking, tilting or rotating motions. Commonly used in molecular biology or biochemistry labs, mixers are ideal for gel staining, western blotting, or hybridization assays.

Dry baths contain a heating element connected to a removable, machined metal block designed to hold microplates, test tubes, ampules or vials.

Environmental test chambers are designed to maintain user-specified atmospheric conditions, through temperature, humidity, airflow, and light cycling controls, for stability and shelf-life testing of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, raw materials or food products.