Bio-Rad EXQuest Spot Cutter - Manual (Page 270)

Basic Excision Tool
8-5
Specify the diameter of the cutting tip by selecting 1.0 mm or 1.5 mm. Note that the
cut request circles that you make on the image reflect the actual size of the cutting tip,
and will change based on the tip size selection.
Specify the order in which you want to the load the wells on the microplate by
selecting A1, A2, A3, ... or A1, B1, C1, ...
Crop Left Margin repositions the image in the Basic Excision Tool window to the left.
Enter a value (in screen pixels) in the field to reposition the image. Note that you must
Click Done to close the settings dialog and then acquire a new image for your changes
to take effect.
Well A1 position
The fields and buttons in this section are used to calibrate the position of the
microplate for proper loading of samples. The number fields contain the X and Y
coordinates (in millimeters) of well A1 on a plate in the spot cutter plate holder. Once
you have set the position of this well, the cutter robot will automatically “know” the
positions of the remaining wells.
To set the well A1 position, position your cursor over the number in the X or Y
coordinate field and press Enter on your keyboard twice. The tip will move to that
position without attempting to lower into the well. If the tip is not centered directly
over the well A1 on the microplate, you will need to adjust the numbers in each field.
You can either type a new value directly in each field, or (for small adjustments) use
the arrow buttons to adjust the tip by fractions of a millimeter. The cutting tip will
move as you either enter new numbers or click the buttons.
Note that the arrow buttons are oriented as if you were facing the front of the spot
cutter; also, if you are facing the cutter, higher numbers in the first field will move the
cutting tip to the right, while higher numbers in the second field will move the cutting
tip toward the back of the instrument.
When you are satisfied with the position of the cutting tip, click Test to lower the tip
into the well. The tip should be centered inside the well.
Park returns to the tip to its home position.