QIAvac 24 Plus

Vacuum-driven liquid processing facilitates sample handling and reduces hands-on preparation time by eliminating the tedious loading and unloading of spin columns into a centrifuge and subsequent removal of flow-through during binding and washing procedures  (see flowchart "Vacuum-driven liquid processing on vacuum manifolds"). Prevention of cross-contamination is especially critical when purifying nucleic acids from sensitive samples. QIAGEN columns are inserted into disposable VacConnectors, preventing direct contact of the column with the manifold. VacValves ensure constant vacuum pressure with viscous samples like blood. The QIAvac 24 Plus vacuum manifold together with the QIAvac Connecting System proved to be an ideal set up for convenient processing of several QIAGEN kits.

Simply insert 1–24 columns into the manifold, add the samples or buffers, and turn on the vacuum source. Samples and buffers are drawn efficiently through columns, facilitating multiple loadings of large sample volumes and eliminating the need to discard flow-through. Vacuum-driven liquid processing is faster than centrifugation and still gives high, reproducible yields (see figure "High, reproducible yields of genomic DNA").

In combination with the QIAvac Connecting System (see figure "An integrated system for various applications"), the QIAvac 24 Plus can be used as a flow-through system. The sample flow-through, containing possible infectious material, is collected in a separate waste bottle.

The QIAvac 24 Plus vacuum manifold enables fast and efficient vacuum processing of QIAGEN columns and is ideally suited to laboratory research. Vacuum-driven liquid processing is an attractive alternative to centrifugation that minimizes the hands-on time needed for sample preparation.