Automatic colony picker PIXL Max

robotic armhigh-throughput

Overview
PIXL Max is a high-throughput, AI-enabled automated microbial colony picker designed for precise colony isolation in clinical and research workflows. Bench-top footprint with multi-head parallel picking, advanced optics and AI morphological filtering enable fast, reproducible isolation for microbiology, synthetic biology and clinical laboratories. Compatible with anaerobic chambers and robotic integration.

Key features

• Pick speed up to 3,000 colonies per hour.
• Isolation accuracy >99% enabled by per-channel agar height measurement.
• Six independent picking channels for parallel processing and higher throughput.
• Patented Pinpoint Picking Technology™ measures agar height per channel for precise picks.
• Universal PickupLine™ filament for organism-agnostic isolation without washing or pin changes.
• AI-powered colony detection and morphological analysis with filtering on 13 parameters (size, morphology, circularity, proximity, colour intensity, fluorescence, etc.).
• High-resolution optics capable of resolving and isolating colonies down to 0.2 mm.
• AI-driven zone-of-inhibition (ZOI) detection and phage plaque picking capability.
• Supports fluorescence detection and MALDI-TOF compatible workflows.
• Open API and proven compatibility with automation and robotic integrators.

Applications

• High-throughput colony picking for microbiology, clinical microbiology and synthetic biology screening.
• Screening thousands of colonies for hits and morphology-based selection.
• Zone-of-inhibition (antibiotic or phage) analysis and targeted isolation from ZOI or plaques.
• Operation inside anaerobic chambers and integration into walk-away automated workflows with robotic arms.

Product summary
Speed: ●●●●●
Accuracy: ●●●●●
Integrability: ●●●●●
Diverse picking: ●●●●●
Image quality: ●●●●○
Price: $$$ (indicative tier)
Detection: AI
Fluorescence: Y
ZOI: Y
MALDI-TOF: Y

Workflow (example steps)

• 1. Login: user accounts, templates and action logging for reproducible workflows.
• 2. Select plate type: supports round and rectangular plates; define whole plate or sectors of interest.
• 3. Choose colonies using AI: apply filters (size, colour, proximity, intensity, shape, morphology, etc.).
• 4. Select target plate and replicate pattern; supports any density, pattern, agar or liquid targets.
• 5. Start pick: review estimated time and plate count, run unattended.
• 6. Export data: protocol, colony metadata and parameters can be exported (CSV).

Notes
PIXL Max is a compact benchtop instrument designed to scale into automated systems. It supports integration with robotic arms and environmental chambers and is the highest-throughput model in the PIXL family, offering AI detection and morphological filtering for reliable isolation.

Technical specifications

• Model: PIXL Max
• Pick rate: up to 3,000 colonies per hour
• Picking heads: 6 independent channels
• Isolation accuracy: >99%
• Agar height measurement: patented Pinpoint Picking Technology™ per channel
• Detection: AI-powered colony detection and morphological analysis
• Filters available: 13 parameters (size, morphology, circularity, proximity, colour intensity, fluorescence, etc.)
• Optics resolution: detect and isolate down to 0.2 mm
• Universal pickup: PickupLine™ filament for organism-agnostic isolation
• Supported analyses: Zone-of-inhibition (ZOI) detection and phage plaque picking
• Fluorescence: supported
• MALDI-TOF compatibility: indicated as supported
• Form factor: benchtop, compatible with anaerobic chamber integration
• API: fully open API, integration-ready