The engineering team at Parker Life Sciences, Hollis, N.H. (parker.com) combined several linear tables to produce a smooth motion, high-speed liquid-handling machine. The equipment has resolution and precisely coordinated motion to deposit genetic material at defined positions in a microarray on a substrate. Microarray analysis simultaneously detects and analyzes thousands of genes in an array. The equipment helps researchers get the most data from each experiment using a design that features reduced spot size and an ability to place the maximum number of spots in a minimum area.

The three-axis device combines Parker's XR and LXR linear tables into systems that deliver multi-axis motion in a 500 × 700 × 150-mm work area. The LXR linear-motor tables have resolutions as low as 0.1 micron for denser arrays. Table speeds range from 0.3 to 3.0 m/sec, depending on encoder resolution.