Equipment purchase costs plates

Several vendors manufacture liquid dispensers, plate storage and incubator devices, and plate detection instruments that are the three major components used in compound screens. Selection of equipment is usually based on several factors including need, previous experience, recommendations, cost, available funding, and quality of post-sale service provided by the instrument vendor. Many instruments from different manufacturers such as the photomultiplier tube (PMT)-based plate readers exhibit similar function and performance. Therefore, reliability, cost, and service quality become the dominating factors for purchase decisions. 

A prime advantage of microchemical tests is the low cost of testing. Aside from the microscope, cost for all ancillary equipment, including reagents, should be a few hundred dollars the reagents ate used in amounts of only a few ciystals per test thus, the initial purchase may last matty years. Associated equipment necessary may include a microbumer or hot plate, thin glass rods, a length of platinum wire, microcapillaty tubes, and scmpulously clean slides and coverslips. 

The cost of the metal for the construction of the spectrometer, except the base plate, is negligible. The major part of the cost is taken up by the purchased items listed on the preceding page, and the necessary counting equipment to operate the BF3 detector. 

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