You can follow the written instructions below, or watch this video to view a visual walk-through.
Please note, this is not an exhaustive guide on how to use this device. For further support please refer to your Synthace point-of-contact - or the SPT Labtech website.
Download instructions from Synthace
To run an execution stage on the dragonfly® discovery, download the instruction files by clicking ‘Download’ on the corresponding execution stage. All instruction files for a stage are downloaded together as a .zip bundle. Use your preferred software to unzip and view each file independently.
Each instruction file contains the transfers from 1 or more input plates to 1 output plate. Each individual input plate represents up to 10 syringes and source liquids. If an instruction file requires more source liquids than available syringes, split them into separate layers in the dragonfly® software. Multiple output plates result in multiple csv files. Additionally, one csv file is generated per every output plate swap.
For example, if you dispense liquids into output_plate_1 then swap output_plate_1 with output_plate_2, csv files will be created for each output plate. Then, if you swap output_plate_2 with output_plate_1 and dispense additional liquids into output_plate_1, another csv file will be created.
Note: The use of Pause and Prompt elements will create a new layer in a csv file, whereas output plate swaps create a new csv file entirely. For example, if you have transfers of liquid A → B → Pause and Prompt → B, in a single CSV you'd get A → B → B(1).
Navigate to the Preview tab and confirm that your process is being executed as desired and that the wells of your respective output plates contain the correct liquid compositions.
Click ‘START EXECUTION’.
Click 'DOWNLOAD' to download each instruction file.
Once you have completed the execution for Stage 1, click ‘MARK AS COMPLETE’ and add a comment (if desired). The status will change from ‘In progress’ to ‘Succeeded.’
Repeat for each additional stage.
Transfer the instructions
Next, upload the unzipped csv file(s) to the dragonfly® discovery software.
1. Open the software for the dragonfly® discovery.
2. Click the Open CSV button.
3. Locate and open the file that contains the liquid handling instructions for the device.
Assign some liquids to a new layer
The dragonfly® discovery dispenses your liquids in layers. When the device executes the workflow, it dispenses the liquids one layer at a time. By default, every liquid is in the same layer. If you want the dragonfly® discovery to dispense some liquids on top of others, divide the default layer, then select the liquids that you want to assign to the new layer.
Tip: This is helpful if the number of liquids in the workflow is greater than the number of syringes that the dragonfly® discovery has (10), or if you want to control the order in which the device dispenses the liquids in the workflow.
On the Overview tab, click GO TO LAYER.
On the PlateMap tab, click the Divide current layer button.
In the DIVIDE LAYER EDITOR form, select the liquids that you want to assign to a new layer, then click OK.
The software displays the new layer beneath the Overview heading.
Optional: Assign a liquid to multiple reservoirs
Each reservoir on the dragonfly® discovery has a maximum capacity of 10ml. If the workflow contains a liquid that exceeds this volume, you must assign the liquid to multiple reservoirs.
Tip: Because this causes the device to use multiple syringes to dispense the liquid, this is also helpful if you want to minimise the execution time.
Beneath Components, select the liquid that you want to assign to multiple reservoirs.
In the lower-right of the screen, check Split Liquid, then select the number of reservoirs to which you want to assign the liquid.
Optional: Add a pre-dispense delay
If you want to incubate the previous layer before the dragonfly® discovery dispenses the next one, add a pre-dispense delay to the layer that follows the one that you want to incubate.
Select the layer that follows the one that you want to incubate.
Example: If you want to incubate Layer One before the dragonfly® discovery dispenses Layer Two, select Layer Two.
Beneath the Details heading, in Pre-Dispense Delay (min), specify the number of minutes that you want the dragonfly® discovery to wait before it dispenses the layer.
If you want to incubate the plate under the incubation lid, check Park under incubation lid after run.
Assign a liquid to a syringe
Before the dragonfly® discovery dispenses a layer, the software must assign each liquid in the layer to a syringe, or you must do so manually.
Select the layer that you want the dragonfly® discovery to dispense, then open the Setup tab.
If you want the software to assign each liquid to a syringe, use the buttons at the top of the page to select how you want it to do so.
If you would prefer to assign a liquid to a syringe manually, right-click the syringe, then select the liquid that you want to assign to it.
Add the liquids to the correct reservoirs
For the layer that you want the dragonfly to dispense, add the liquids to the correct reservoirs.
Slide the reservoir tray to the filling position.
You previously assigned each liquid in the layer to a syringe. Now, add each liquid to the reservoir below the syringe.
Example: If you assigned a liquid to syringe A1, add the liquid to the reservoir below syringe A1.
For each liquid, you must add no less than the total volume that the syringe requires. The software displays this volume on the bottom of the syringe.
Lower the device guard, then click each syringe into position
If you have loaded a syringe correctly, the software displays a green light on the upper-right of the syringe.
Aspirate the liquids into the syringes
From the reservoirs to which you added them, aspirate the liquids into the syringes to which you allocated them.
Slide the reservoir tray back to its original position.
On the Setup tab, click ASPIRATE.
Add the output plate to the plate nest
Prepare to dispense the layer
Each syringe has a maximum capacity of 4ml, but each reservoir has a maximum capacity of 10ml. This means that when the dragonfly® discovery dispenses the layer, it might need to refill a syringe or two along the way. Before the device dispenses the layer, raise the tip guard, then check that each reservoir is in the correct position.
Raise the tip guard.
Tip: If you do not raise the tip guard correctly, the software displays the following warning at the bottom of the Setup tab.
Check that each reservoir is in the correct position.
Dispense the layer
On the Run tab, click RUN.
The software displays BUSY whilst the dragonfly® discovery dispenses the layer.
Prepare to dispense the next layer
Purge the syringes that you want to dispense the same liquid in the next layer, then delete the syringes that you do not want to dispense anything.
Warning: Do not remove the reservoirs from below the syringes. They will collect the residual liquid from the syringes.
If you want a syringe to dispense the same liquid in the next layer, select the syringe, then click PURGE.
If you do not want a syringe to dispense anything in the next layer, select the syringe, then click REMOVE.
After the software deletes a syringe, remove the syringe from the dragonfly® discovery, then load a new one if needed.
To dispense the next layer, repeat the steps from here.