Automated media exchange—no centrifuge needed

Automate media refresh with C-FREE™ Pluto directly in your biosafety cabinet—no manual pipetting, no harsh centrifugation

Get Application Updates
Talk to a Specialist

Overview

Manual media exchange often requires pipetting and centrifugation—steps that stress cells and add variability. The C-FREE™ Pluto ALPHA automates this process in a compact, BSC-friendly liquid handler that refreshes culture media through gentle, flow-controlled laminar exchange.

By replacing manual pipetting and centrifugation with automated, low-shear aspiration and dispense, it reduces stress on suspension and semi-adherent cells, minimizes errors, and supports higher throughput across multiple plate formats—delivering consistent, reproducible results across users and cultures.

Talk to a Specialist

Key Features

Gentle Automation

Low-shear laminar flow enables smooth media removal and dispense without disturbing suspension or semi-adherent cultures.

No Centrifugation

Skip manual spin-downs and plate handling—perform media exchange directly in culture plates.

Configurable Exchange Ratios

Adjust dilution fraction (e.g., 50–88%) for process control and flexibility.

Scalable Throughput

Run multiple wells or plates in parallel using Pluto Alpha and Pluto Workstation.

Consistent, Repeatable Results

Controlled flow and software-guided movement minimize operator variability.

How It Works

  1. Load Plates – Place 24- or 96-well plates on the Pluto Alpha or Pluto Workstation.
  2. Configure Parameters – Select exchange fraction and flow rate through the C-FREE™ software.
  3. Automate Exchange – Laminar flow removes and dispenses media in one step, eliminating manual centrifugation.
  4. Maintain Culture Integrity – Gentle, closed-environment handling reduces stress from repeated manipulation.

Performance Overview

Exchange fraction can be tuned while maintaining consistent workflow performance. Below are example internal testing results. 

Method Descriptions

Method 1 and 2

  • Pipette aspirates 50% or 75% of the initial volume and discards.
  • Pipette tops up each well with an equivalent volume of fresh media.

Method 3

  • Pipette aspirates 50% of the initial volume and discards.
  • Pipette performs a Pluto Wash using fresh media.
  • Pipette tops up each well with fresh media back to initial volume.
Cell culture plateMedia exchangeDilution¹Recovery of PBMC² Relative to UnwashedWorkflow time (mm:ss)
24-well plate (1mL media)Method 150% (theoretical)95.9%01:34
24-well plate (1mL media)Method 275% (theoretical)100%02:00
24-well plate (1mL media)Method 387.9% (measured)92.9%05:46
96-well plate (200µL media)Method 145.6% (measured)100%01:50
96-well plate (200µL media)Method 272.0% (measured)100%01:50
96-well plate (200µL media)Method 394.1% (measured)100%05:33

Compatible C-FREE™ Pluto Systems

Our Pluto ALPHA is a compact, BSC-friendly workstation. However, media exchange is supported across the entire C-FREE™ Pluto family:

  • Pluto Alpha – Compact automated wash station suitable for a BSC
  • Pluto Workstation – Benchtop liquid handler with low to high-throughputs
  • Pluto Code – Add centrifuge-less wash to your current liquid handler

Contact us to find which system fits your labs needs. 

Talk to a Specialist
800px_ALPHA_left_open

Why Use Pluto for Media Exchange

No spin-down required

Fully automated exchange without centrifugation

Gentle handling

Laminar, low-shear movement preserves culture structure.

Flexible formats

24- and 96-well plate compatibility.

Automation your way

Benchtop workstation or add a script to your liquid handler.