About Black Dog
Why Black Dog?
The motto “Dedicated to Excellence in Customer Service” is not only our goal, but also our passion. As the response to Black Dog has been overwhelming, we have proceeded with the goal of Customer Service at the forefront. As your service provider, we will be accessible to you 24 hours per day / 7 days per week, if necessary. Our goal is to provide you with not only the best performing instruments, but also to provide you with the best in customer service. We will adapt our schedules to meet your needs!
We have a comprehensive inventory of parts, which will either travel with the engineers, or be accessible to them via next flight or next day shipping. We have also purchased FLIPR®s, which are used for resale or parts. While Black Dog’s primary service area includes the continental United States, we do have the ability to service global accounts. We have access to the services of one of the most experienced FLIPR® scientists, who is available for training or technical support. We believe that FLIPR® technology has been, and will continue to be, one of the premier instruments in the pharmaceutical lab. We plan to support the FLIPR® for as long as our customers' needs exist.
The Black Dog team has a great sense of humor! See our mascot, the black Newfoundland dog, in his starring role as he rescues the FLIPR®!
About the President, Tom Leen
My interest in the FLIPR® began with a long career in servicing scientific instruments. My service to my clients has been noted for attention to detail and a fast response. With Black Dog Technical Services, I have taken my years of experience to the next level by expanding my dedication to customer service to an independent company.
I began my career as a member of the design team for Eastman Kodak Company, which produced the Ektachem Clinical Chemistry Analyzer. This instrument was quickly recognized as the premier clinical chemistry instrument in labs throughout the world. Its record for precision, accuracy, and reliability set the standard for other instruments.
I was promoted to Audit Supervisor and was responsible for the testing and evaluation of each instrument prior to its delivery to the customer. When recurring problems occurred in the field, we assigned engineering teams to resolve the issues. Eventually, I accepted a position of Senior Field Service Engineer in North Carolina. My instrument responsibility included both Kodak’s Clinical Instruments and also its Radiology Instruments, with Duke University Medical Center as the premier account. I accepted a position with UNC Hospitals, managing the service of all laboratory instrumentation.
My FLIPR® experience resulted from my employment with Molecular Devices Corporation, which I left to pursue a career with Astra Zeneca Pharmaceuticals. For the past five years at Astra Zeneca, I was responsible for all of the instrumentation in Lead Discovery, including nine FLIPR®s, which are located in Wilmington, Montreal, and Brisbane. These FLIPR®s, some of which are used in HTS, regularly process in excess of 200 plates per day per instrument. My Kodak experience has prepared me to design and install modifications that have improved both the performance and the reliability of the FLIPR®s. The FLIPR®s in Montreal receive semi-annual PM’s, and rarely, if ever, require additional service. Some of the improvements I have implemented in this time include:
- An improved High Speed Digital Camera, which, in some assays, has
produced superior results.
- An improved tip washer and DMSO delivery and disposal system, which
eliminates the need for the mixing and transporting of DMSO. The improved
evacuation system reduces carryover and minimizes damage to critical
components as the result of overfill of the tip wash basin.
- A Plasma Tip Washer, which significantly reduces carry-over, eliminates
the need for DMSO, and reduces the cost of disposable tips.
- A Bar Code Reader that reads the label on the short side of the
plate.
- Several functional design changes to the system that addressed design flaws.
With Black Dog, I hope to take the service of precision scientic instruments to the next level. I look forward to working with you to ensure that your FLIPR is as reliable as Black Dog Technical Services.