Built on the same laminar flow principle that underpins our long-standing Laminar Wash™ technology, C-FREE™ carries this proven foundation into broader applications—extending from microscale cell washing to large-scale workflows that demand gentle, consistent handling and simpler automation setups.
Available as benchtop workstations or software integration.
C-FREE™ technology is an automation-ready platform that uses precise fluid control to wash and mix cells and beads without centrifugation. By keeping the velocity at the container bottom near zero, suspended cells and beads remain undisturbed while a robotic pipette gently removes and replaces the supernatant.
This approach minimizes mechanical stress and variability, enabling researchers to:
Built on the same principle of fluid control that underpins Laminar Wash™, C-FREE™ extends this proven foundation into broader applications—from plate-based workflows to complex automation-driven processes.
Compact system for cell washing and media exchange
Full automation workstation for high-throughput cell sample prep
Software integration adding C-FREE™ technology to existing setups
At the core of C-FREE™ is precise fluid control — a principle that is simple yet powerful. When liquid flows smoothly across the container surface while velocity at the bottom remains close to zero, suspended cells and beads remain in place instead of pelleting.
A robotic pipette can then remove supernatant and introduce fresh buffer, achieving buffer exchange and mixing in a way centrifugation cannot:
Technical Advantages:
Setup quickly and integrate into existing protocols with intuitive, SOP‑like interfaces.
From compact benchtop to high‑throughput enterprise workstations, or add C‑FREE™ to your current robot.
Reduce variability and preserve data integrity with traceable, automated runs.
Achieve equivalent recovery to centrifugation without disruptive forces.
Designed for labs of any size; 21 CFR Part 11 compliance (coming soon).
Affordable alternatives to centrifuge‑based automation.
Centrifugation has long been the standard, but it creates bottlenecks:
By contrast, C-FREE™ delivers standardized, reproducible data without centrifuge, enabling labs to scale with confidence.
Today’s research demands reproducibility, speed, and automation. Conventional centrifuge workflows no longer meet these needs.
C-FREE™ provides:
One lesson that we’re still learning in our lab is that cells actually can be retained without a centrifuge. Because I was told by multiple people that if you don’t resuspend those cells as part of your wash, it’s not going to work and somehow the cells, with the right settings in the Pluto, are actually staying retained at the bottom and yet getting washed.
Holden Maecker, PhD
Stanford University
For many years, Laminar Wash™ has redefined centrifuge-less workflows, validated in hundreds of peer-reviewed publications. Its success rests on fluid control principles that protect cells while ensuring consistency.
C-FREE™ is the umbrella platform that now includes:
Researchers familiar with Laminar Wash™ will recognize the same underlying principle of fluid control, now applied in Pluto Wash™ for more automated and scalable workflows.
The same laminar flow principles that have powered Laminar Wash™ technology for years now form the foundation of the C-FREE™ Pluto Wash™ platform. This ensures continuity of performance and validation lineage—translating manual and semi-automated success into fully automated workflows.
Representative dot plots of WB samples (n=4 technical replicates) processed with centrifugation vs Pluto LT show:
C-FREE™ supports workflows where gentle, reproducible handling is critical:
By eliminating centrifugation and simplifying automation, Pluto systems adapt seamlessly from discovery research to translational applications.
Hundreds of peer-reviewed publications validating Laminar Wash™ and establishing the foundation for C-FREE™ workflows.
“The Pluto LT system can significantly streamline our sample preparation workflows. Its automation capabilities could not only improve the accuracy and reproducibility of our flow cytometry data, but also reduce human error during critical steps. As we continue to test across various immune assays, the Pluto system serves to be an essential tool for enhancing efficiency in immune monitoring studies.”
