Azure Cielo Dx real-time PCR system

Azure Biosystems’ Cielo Dx standalone qPCR system for in vitro diagnostic use provides the sensitivity required for qPCR applications and research. The system’s three or six standard channels let the user analyse a variety of commercially available dyes with LED-based excitation for multiplexing.

Onboard software operated by a 10.3″ touchscreen interface minimises footprint and saves on bench space. The system has a 96-well format for semi-skirted or un-skirted plates and tubes and the fibre-optic detection system scans 16 wells simultaneously. It supports reaction volumes between 5 and 150 μL, including fast ~20 min runtimes.

The product is engineered for a wide variety of qPCR applications, with high sensitivity and wide dynamic range. It can detect differences as small as 1.5-fold in target quantities in singleplex reactions and up to one copy of amplified DNA, with 10 logs of dynamic range. The user interface allows simple touchscreen assay set-up; saved protocols make assay set-up easy and reproducible.

The system’s optics and thermal block are designed to deliver the same uniformity and reproducibility over at least 1000 qPCR experiments. Thermal performance is based on Marlow Peltier-based block with 12 temperature gradient zones and ramp rates up to 6°C/s. No external PC is required to run the instrument and data can be transferred via Ethernet, Wi-Fi, USB or LAN.