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View additional product information for KingFisher™ Flex Purification System, KingFisher with 96 PCR head - FAQs (5400610)
45 product FAQs found
The User Manual for the BindIt Software can be downloaded from the BindIt Software product page online, under the Documents & Downloads section. It is also included within the BindIt Software installation file under "Documentation".
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Automated Nucleic Acid Purification Support Center.
To determine the cause of the connection issue, we recommend checking the following:
1. Check software settings:
• Make sure the instrument selected is KingFisher Flex.
• Make sure the instrument serial number was input with the dash included and no spaces (ex, "711-xxxx").
• Make sure the communication tab was set to "USB" and not "COM".
2. Check the instrument and computer:
• The KingFisher Flex instrument screen (GUI) should be set to the "Factory Protocols" tab (blue tab) for best results.
• Make sure the port function on the Maintenance Tab (last tab) is checked for "USB".
• Try using different USB cables.
• Try a different USB port on the computer.
• Check the Windows version you are using.
• Reboot the KingFisher Flex instrument and the computer.
• Make sure the driver was installed properly. This may require the help of your local IT team.
If the connection issue persists, please contact our Technical Support team at techsupport@thermofisher.com.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Automated Nucleic Acid Purification Support Center.
You can use any brand of UPS as long as it is compatible with the following KingFisher Flex instrument electrical specifications:
• Mains power supply: 100–240 Vac, 50/60 Hz, nominal automatic voltage detection
• Power consumption: 175 VA max.; 55 VA standby
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Automated Nucleic Acid Purification Support Center.
The “error message 12” error usually means there is something out of place on the KingFisher Flex instrument. We recommend the following to resolve the issue:
1. Check the heat block and make sure that it is not lifted up out of the base of the unit. If it is out of the base, check to see if there is anything underneath it that is preventing it from going down. If there is nothing under the heat block, it may have gotten stuck in the up position. This will require a service call.
2. Check that the tip shield is off to the right and out of the way from underneath the magnetic head. If it is stuck in the incorrect position, this may require a service call.
3. If the turntable was moved and it clicked out of place, the rectangular footprint cannot be centered below the head. Turn off the instrument and turn it back on. The instrument should re-align itself.
If the error continues to display, please contact techsupport@thermofisher.com for assistance.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Automated Nucleic Acid Purification Support Center.
Please follow these steps to load a script from your computer to the KingFisher Flex or KingFisher Duo/Duo Prime instrument:
1. Use the USB cable to connect the PC to the instrument.
2. Turn on the instrument.
3. Open the BindIt software and click the Connect button.
4. Select "Find New Instrument." BindIt will automatically connect to the instrument and the instrument screen will say "Computer Control".
5. Click the "Transfer" Button.
6. Click the "Upload" button.
7. Browse to find the file and double-click it.
8. In the new window that opens:
a. KingFisher Flex: you will be prompted to enter a new name – this is not necessary if the name only contains letters, digits, dash or underscore.
• If the name contains spaces, apostrophes or any other character, you should enter a new name containing only letters, digits, dash (-) or underscore (_).
• Click the "Category" pulldown to select the instrument folder you want to load the script to.
• Click OK.
b. KingFisher Duo/Duo Prime: The KingFisher Duo and Duo Prime instruments accept all characters in the filename.
• Click the "Category" pulldown to select the instrument folder you want to load the script to.
• Click OK.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Automated Nucleic Acid Purification Support Center.
We recommend that people with pacemakers consult with their doctor before working with the KingFisher instruments. For the 24 Deep-Well Head, the magnetic force is 3,500 gauss. For the 96 Deep-Well Head, the magnetic force is 1,700 gauss. For the other magnetic heads, the magnetic force is lower.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Automated Nucleic Acid Purification Support Center.
The KingFisher Flex and KingFisher Duo instruments no longer come with pre-installed scripts. If your instrument begins with the following serial numbers, it will not have pre-loaded scripts:
• KingFisher Flex serial number 711-1951 or greater
• KingFisher Duo Prime serial number 706-1366 or greater
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Automated Nucleic Acid Purification Support Center.
The accuracy of the KingFisher Flex heating block is ± 1°C for up to 80°C, and ± 2°C for up to 115°C (see page 72 of the manual). If there is an issue with the accuracy of the heating block, you can contact to schedule a service call. Calibration of the heating block can only be performed by one of our engineers.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Automated Nucleic Acid Purification Support Center.
No, scripts cannot be transferred from the KingFisher Flex instrument to the computer for editing. It is possible to transfer a backup copy of the script from the KingFisher Flex instrument to the computer, but you will not be able to edit it. You may use this backup file to write a new script. In general, we recommend storing protocols in the BindIt software on the computer so the protocols can be edited there.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Automated Nucleic Acid Purification Support Center.
No training is provided with the purchase of a KingFisher Flex or KingFisher Duo Prime instrument, but you can purchase training separately. We offer onsite half-day and full-day trainings for the KingFisher Flex and KingFisher Duo Prime instruments, depending on your needs. Please contact your local instrument sales representative to obtain a quote. The training will be led by your regional Field Application Scientist.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Automated Nucleic Acid Purification Support Center.
We cannot write a script for a purification kit for another company, but we can provide you with a tutorial on how to use the BindIt software. We also recommend checking with the manufacturer of the purification kit you are using, since some companies may already have scripts for their products to be used on multiple instruments.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Automated Nucleic Acid Purification Support Center.
Scripts for processing large volumes of whole blood (up to 1 mL) can be found on the MagMAX Multi-Sample Ultra kit product page under the Product Literature section at the bottom of the page. There are two scripts available:
• KingFisher DUO file: A25597_Large_Volume_Blood.bdz
• KingFisher Flex file: A25597_Large_Volume_Blood.bdz
*Use the page scrolling function to see the complete list of product literature for this product.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Automated Nucleic Acid Purification Support Center.
We offer onsite half-day and full-day trainings for the KingFisher Flex instruments, depending on your needs.The training will be led by your regional Field Application Scientist. You can contact your local sales representative to obtain a quote for the training cost.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Automated Nucleic Acid Purification Support Center.
If the tip does not load correctly onto a Thermo Scientific KingFisher magnetic head, we recommend that you try manually flexing the tips both lengthwise and widthwise to level the tip comb. A video of flexing the tip comb can be found here: https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/life-science/dna-rna-purification-analysis/automated-purification-extraction/kingfisher-systems/resources.html. The video is under "KingFisher Flex" and titled "How to install the magnet head and check the tip comb." Flexing of the tip comb is demonstrated at timepoint 1:35. If that does not work, try a different box or lot of tips. This applies to all KingFisher instruments.
We recommend using the MagJet Plasmid DNA kit (Cat. No. K2791) for plasmid purification. Scripts for using the MagJet Plasmid DNA kit with the KingFisher Flex and KingFisher Duo Prime Purification Systems are available for download on the kit product page (https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/K2791). The ChargeSwitch Plasmid ER Mini Kit (Cat. No. CS10100) is also an option for plasmid purification. There is no script currently available for using ChargeSwitch Plasmid ER Mini Kit, but you can create a custom protocol for use with the KingFisher Flex and KingFisher Duo Prime Purification Systems.
We do not recommend placing the KingFisher Flex Purification System in close proximity to magnetic tapes, computer discs or other magnetic storage systems, such as credit cards, as these can be damaged by the strong magnetic field of the KingFisher Flex magnetic heads. Do not hold the KingFisher Flex magnetic heads close to a PC display, since this may cause damage to the display. Do not use metal tools when handling KingFisher Flex magnetic heads. People wearing a pacemaker or metallic prostheses should also not use this product as these items could be affected or damaged by close contact with a strong magnetic field.
We recommend cleaning the KingFisher Flex instrument cover with water containing a mild soap or a slightly acidic, neutral or slightly alkaline detergent. You can use up to a 3.5% Sodium Hypochlorite concentration. We do not recommend using phenol or chloroform to clean the cover.
The KingFisher Flex Purification System cover is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
The KingFisher Flex Purification System heating block is located inside the instrument and can be used automatically during the protocol. All KingFisher Flex plates can be heated using specially designed, interchangeable heating blocks. Any number of heating steps can be added to a protocol. When a protocol enters a heating step, the plate is automatically moved to the dedicated heating position for heating. Afterwards, the protocol continues automatically to the next step.
Yes, the KingFisher Flex instrument 96-well magnetic head and the MagMAX Express-96 instrument magnetic head can use the same tip combs and KingFisher plates even though the magnetic heads are different.
We recommend using the BindIt Software to transfer scripts to the MagMAX Express-96 and KingFisher Flex instruments. The BindIt Software should be used to transfer scripts for all of the Applied Biosystems MagMAX Express and Thermo Scientific KingFisher instruments.
Yes, depending on the kind of protocol and head that is used, the following consumables will have to be purchased:
- KingFisher 96 deep-well plate (Cat. No. 95040450)
- KingFisher 96 deep-well plate, sterile (Cat. No. 95040460)
- KingFisher 96 tip comb for deep-well (Cat. No. 97002534)
- KingFisher 96 deep-well tip comb and plate, sterile (Cat. No. 97002820)
- KingFisher 96 microplate (200 μL) (Cat. No. 97002540)
- KingFisher 96 tip comb (Cat. No. 97002524)
- MicroAmp Clear Adhesive Film (optional) (Cat. No. 4306311
No, the processing volume refers to the maximum volume that can be held in the 24 Deep Well plates. This incorporates the volume of binding buffers and beads, so when scaling up reaction volumes, it is important to make sure that the total volume does not exceed 5 mL.
No, once a protocol was stopped, it will restart from the beginning. The extraction procedure can either be finished manually by using a magnetic stand, or a modified version of the original KingFisher Flex script would have to be created that starts off at the point where the run was stopped.
Set up the protocol on the BindIt software. After the first 8 plates are done, the instrument will pause and instruct you to switch out the plates.
The transport locks are only necessary when relocating the instrument.
We strongly recommend that you maintain the specified volumes within the defined limits to avoid spillover and to help ensure the best performance at the most efficient level.
This happens sometimes but it will not affect the yield because the sample has been released from the particles.
If the starting material is too viscous, the magnetic rods will not be able to collect the particles. Dilute the sample and check that the sample is properly homogenized/lysed. Adding low amounts of detergent will improve the collection of magnetic particles as well. Quickly centrifuge the plate to sediment the particles to the bottom of the plate.
The protocol will not start without the tip combs inserted into the tip comb holder.
Wipe the magnetic rods with a soft cloth or tissue paper soaked in a mild detergent solution, soap solution, or alcohol.
The heating block warms up at the rate of about 10°C per minute, so it will take about 6 minutes.
Both deep-well plates and KingFisher 96 plates can be used during the same run. Therefore, it is possible to start the processing by using larger volumes (in a deep-well plate) and elute the purified sample to a smaller volume (in a KingFisher 96 or MagMAX 96 standard plate).
This can be done by running the Change magnet protocol under the Maintenance menu using the “up” and “down” cursor keys.
The KingFisher Flex magnets are made of material that is very stable. The magnetic field will not get weaker. However, extreme mechanical force or heating can cause damage to the magnets.
Caution: It is very important to keep the KingFisher Flex heads away from each other and from other magnets at all times. Clashing together of the magnets may cause serious damage to the magnets.
KingFisher Flex uses a USB port, whereas the MagMAX Express- 96 requires a RS-232 port.
No. Protocols cannot be transferred back from the instrument to the computer. Protocols need to be previously stored in the BindIt or KingFisher software to make edits.
No, manufactured protocols are locked for editing, but they can be renamed using the ‘save as' function and edited as a new version.
For nucleic acid extraction, we recommend using our MagMAX kits and MagJET kits. Other magnetic beads should work well as long as they are 0.5 to 10 µm in size. However, you will have to write your own KingFisher protocols using the Thermo Scientific BindIt software and validate/optimize the protocol on your own.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Automated Nucleic Acid Purification Support Center.
Yes, this can be done by sample splitting. Set the protocol so that the magnet will collect samples from multiple wells before continuing to the next step. Be sure not to overload.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Automated Nucleic Acid Purification Support Center.
Yes, reaction volumes can be scaled up, and all other volumes (i.e. wash volumes) will have to be increased by the same fold difference. It is generally not recommended to scale up reaction volumes more than 2-fold unless the plate's volume capacity will allow it.
No, we strongly recommend that you use the MagMAX plates or KingFisher plates since they were specifically designed to be used with KingFisher Flex tip combs to attain maximal performance. Plates from other manufacturers may not be compatible with the KingFisher Flex heating blocks. They may also cause unexpected problems, such as cross-contamination, due to the divergent well volume and bottom height of the plate.
The consumables for the KingFisher Flex instrument with the 96 Deep Well head are listed below:
- KingFisher 96 deep-well plate (Cat. No. 95040450)
- KingFisher 96 deep-well plate, sterile (Cat. No. 95040460)
- KingFisher 96 tip comb for deep-well (Cat. No. 97002534)
- KingFisher 96 deep-well tip comb and plate, sterile (Cat. No. 97002820)
- KingFisher 96 microplate (200 μL) (Cat. No. 97002540)
- KingFisher 96 tip comb (Cat. No. 97002524)
- MicroAmp Clear Adhesive Film (optional) (Cat. No. 4306311
For the KingFisher Flex instrument with the 24 Deep Well head, the following consumables are required:
- KingFisher 24 deep-well plate (Cat. No. 95040470)
- KingFisher 24 deep-well plate, sterile (Cat. No. 95040480)
- KingFisher 24 deep-well tip comb and plate (Cat. No. 97002610)
- KingFisher 24 deep-well tip comb and plate, sterile (Cat. No. 97002620)
There are 4 magnetic head options available for the KingFisher Flex Magnetic Particle Processor:
- KingFisher Flex head for MagMAX Express-96 Deep Well plate
- KingFisher Flex head for KingFisher 24 Deep Well plate
- KingFisher Flex head for KingFisher 96 plate
- KingFisher Flex head for PCR plate, skirted
Yes, all MagMAX kits can be used with the KingFisher Flex Magnetic Particle Processor.