Tabletop Rotors and Tubes

1
Rotors
This section is an introduction to the Beckman Coulter family of
tabletop preparative ultracentrifuge rotors, providing general information
on rotor design, selection, and operation. Rotor designs
described are fixed angle, swinging bucket, vertical tube, and near
vertical tube type. Specific instructions for using each type of rotor
are contained in Section 4. Care and maintenance information for all
of these rotors is contained in Section 5.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
ROTOR DESIGNATIONS
Beckman Coulter tabletop preparative rotors are named according
to the type of rotor and the rotor’s maximum allowable revolutions
per minute (in thousands), referred to as rated speed. For example,
the TLS-55 is a swinging bucket rotor with a maximum speed of
55 000 rpm. Decimal units that are sometimes part of the rotor
name, as in the TLA-120.2 and the TLA-120.3, make it possible
to distinguish between different rotors that have the same maximum
allowable speed. An example of each rotor type is shown in
Figure 1-1.
Tubes in fixed angle rotors (designated MLA or TLA) are held at an
angle to the axis of rotation in numbered tube cavities. The bodies of
some rotors are fluted to eliminate unnecessary weight and minimize
stresses.
In swinging bucket rotors (designated MLS or TLS), containers are
held in rotor buckets attached to the rotor body by hinge pins or a
crossbar. The buckets swing out to a horizontal position as the rotor
accelerates, then seat against the rotor body for support.
Tabletop Ultracentrifuge Rotors and Tubes
1-1