Multiplex ELISA Kits Plate Reader Requirements

Dear customer,

Our multiplex ELISA kits offer a highly scalable and robust ELISA solution for working with small volume samples and generating lots of data points in single experiments. We are glad you are considering it for your SOP. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of our demo package, which enables you to purchase a sample kit and rent the specialized plate reader, Q-View™ Imager LS. For more information about the demo package, please see: Multiplex ELISA Demo Package.

We understand that the logistics might be a little cumbersome for you to try the plate reader for 2 weeks, so you are considering to try the kits using a third-party compatible imager. In principle, third-party imagers are not supported by us and not covered by the Boster Guarantee. We understand that it is a convenient option for some scientists to get proof of concept or to select the best multiplex ELISA method for their SOP, and some customers have requested to use non-Quansys imagers they already have in their lab. We strongly advise against this as we cannot guarantee results on any third-party imager. We acknowledge that some customers will run their multiplex ELISA kits on a third-party imager with the understanding that it may not provide adequate results.

If you do decide to run the multiplex ELISA kits on a third-party imager, you will need a separate vial of clear substrate at the additional cost of $85. You will then use the clear Substrate B and discard the dyed Substrate B+ included in the kit.

Unfortunately, we do not have any official documentation on a comparison of results for third-party imagers compared to the Q-View™ Imager LS. There are too many imagers/readers on the market to keep up with all of the models, versions, revisions, etc.

Some challenges you would face when using a third-party imager include:

1. The lens may cause parallax, which will skew the edges of the image (the edges may create a smile)
2. Imaging through the top of the plate instead of the bottom (our Q-View™ imager reads from the bottom), so the substrate meniscus will cause the image to skew
3. Imaging through the top of the plate, so the well chimney may obstruct the view of the bottom of the well
4. Imaging through the top of the plate, so light may reflect off the sides of the wells
5. The imager may not take a proper exposure of the plate

We acknowledge that some customers have no other options for imaging plates. We have outlined the minimum requirements for our multiplex ELISA kits to function on third-party imagers.

Minimum requirements for third-party imagers:

1. The imager has a light‐tight imaging chamber and a non‐illumination or chemiluminescent mode
2. The imager is able to export grayscale 16‐bit TIFF files
3. Camera‐based imagers must also have at least 1 MP resolution (4+ MP, flat‐field correction, and a cooled sensor is preferred)

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask us at [email protected].