Hamilton LabElite DeCapper Review: Versatile and Easy to Use

What decapper should I get for automation tubes? The Hamilton LabElite DeCapper is an easy to use decapper for automation friendly tubes. The head can be quickly swapped to switch between multiple manufacturers and formats with minimal effort. If you are planning to automate sample handling in your lab then a capper/decapper is a device in your future. If you value versatility and ease of use then this is the right one for you.

How Easy is the Setup for the Hamilton LabElite Decapper?

The Hamilton LabElite DeCapper is very simple to set up for manual use. Remove the base of the device from the box and place it on the bench. Make sure to leave some clearance around it. The stage will move and you’ll want space to be able to remove the decapping head. To install the tube adapters onto the decapping head simple push and twist them and then release.

The decapping head itself slides onto the device and then you lock it in place with a pin. Hamilton Storage should have pre-installed the templates for the various tube sizes you purchased adapters for. If this was not done you simply need to download the files onto a USB stick; and then run the installer from the settings menu. If you integrate the decapper with liquid handler or automation arm, you will need to teach the hand-off locations.

Is the Hamilton Lab Elite Software Interface Easy to Use?

The LabElite has a built in touchscreen through which you will do all manual operations. The first screen displays the rack of tubes to you and a few options: Decap, Cap, 90°, and a gear icon. At the bottom you will see the designation for the tube and destination cap carrier. Confirm that the correct tube/cap carrier combo are displayed. Tap on the rows or columns you want to decap and then tap Decap. Recapping of course works the same way.

To swap between portrait and landscape press the 90° on the corner of the plate. Press the gear icon to enter the settings menu. This screen displays the three most recently used tube types. You can select from those options or press Labware to be taken deeper into the selection menu.

The available tube types that match the installed decapping head will be displayed in this menu, separated by brand. The system will not display a 48 format rack if you have the 96 format head installed. You can select what tubes you want to use here. If changing adapters is required, it will run you through that process.

How to Change the Hamilton LabElite DeCapper Head and Adapters?

The primary selling point of the LabElite is your ability to reconfigure the system. They have made this process very simple. To swap the decapping head, power off the device, remove the securing pin, and slide the head off the arm. Once the head is removed, slide on a different one, resecure with the pin, and power back on.

The system will always require a reinitialization upon cycling the power which only takes a few moments. If this is the first time this head has been installed on the system, it will walk you through calibration. To change adapters you can either enter the labware menu or remove the head. You will then swap the adapters by pushing in and twisting them to release. Reverse the procedure with the new adapters. This really is as simple as changing from a flat head to a phillips head on an electric screwdriver.

What Configuration Options Does the Hamilton LabElite DeCapper Have?

Hamilton Storage lists on the LabElite product site that they sell adapters for FluidX, Greiner, LVL, Matrix, Micronic, and Nunc tubes. Their sales team says they are always looking to design adapters for their system if another automation tube brand is required.

There are three decapping heads: 12 channel (96 tubes), 8 channel (48 tubes), and 6 channel (24 tubes). I was told that the 12 channel head can be used to decap 24 format tubes if every other adapter is removed. I have never had cause to try this.

Most tube manufacturers sell cap caddies for the caps. Hamilton sells metal, autoclavable caddies that have small divots in the sides that match the spacing of an iSwap gripper. You have a lot of options here and should be able to easily find a solution for your needs. The only requirement is that the tubes have automation friendly caps and are in a standard SLAS format rack.

Can the Hamilton LabElite DeCapper Integrate with Liquid Handlers?

My integration experience is was with a Hamilton STAR liquid handler but for me the process was fairly simple. Install the software on the Hamilton and import the library into your method. You have all the options you need for initializing the device, moving the stage, rotating the tube location, and decapping/recapping. On the LabElite you need to connect a cable to the ethernet port, and then dive into the settings.

Set a broadcast description message. I’d suggest something like “LabElite SN:xxxxxx  Lab:yyyy” to distinguish it from other devices on your network present or future. Select your IP settings and then you are good to go. Hamilton sells an integration kit for the decapper which adds an extended rail. This allows the decapper to sit off to the left side of a Star; moving the stage over into gripping distance for an iSwap. For the Hamilton Vantage I do not believe this is necessary if you have the track gripper.

What Points for Improvement Does the Hamilton LabElite DeCapper Have?

No device is perfect and while I’m very pleased with the LabElite DeCappers, there are some places for improvement. The key difference between the LabElite and the LabElite ID models, is a 2D tube barcode scanner in the latter. Having an integrated barcode scanner may be necessary for you, but you pay a premium for that feature. You can easily purchase a more reliable device for half the cost of the integrated scanner. The integrated scanner is a camera based model and is fast and relatively reliable. However, I’ve used other devices which I vastly prefer such as the Ziath Mirage.

The touchscreen tends to time out after a few days of the system being left on. You will not be able to interact with it without cycling the power on the device. This is a minor issue but one that I’ve noticed can cause concerns for lab staff using the device manually. I’ve put notes on the side of the devices with instructions so don’t receive panicked calls about a broken device. I am happy to say that the issue with the system freezing is purely the touchscreen. If the device is integrated with another system you can still send commands to it.

Speaking of integrated workflows, as mentioned earlier there is a way to rotate the tube rack 90° which is a great feature for integrated systems. Unfortunately this feature is immediately made irrelevant as the destination cap carrier cannot also be rotated by the system. There is both a portrait and landscape option but this must be done either manually or with a robotic arm.

Final Thoughts

The Hamilton LabElite DeCapper is a fine device for decapping and recapping automation tubes. I plan to continue using them for the foreseeable future in my lab. It is one of the few systems on the market versatile enough to support multiple tube sizes, configurations, and brands. If you are processing multiple 96 format tubes and processing the entire rack, consider a different decapper. However, if you need versatility then the LabElite is where you want to be. You can check out our automated decapper list if you want to see other options on the market.

Hamilton Storage has just released a new model with a smaller footprint, landscape format only and does not have an integrated reader. I plan to evaluate this model next time I need a decapper. I would also love to see an adjustable span head that is capable of swapping between formats. This ability in combination with automatically swapping tube adapters on the fly would made the device practically perfect. If you’ve had any experience good or bad with the LabElite and want to discuss in the comments let us know, we would love to hear your thoughts. milil