Asimov Press Making the Vortex Mixer
Feb 12, 2026
A deep dive into the 1959 invention that changed lab work, tracing how a simple motorized rubber cup created the orbital vortex used in mixing tubes. The Kraft brothers’ background and rapid prototyping are highlighted. Listeners hear how the device solved contamination problems, passed clinical tests, spawned patents and businesses, and evolved into the ubiquitous Vortex Genie and modern variants.
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Rapid Prototype To Lab Demo
- Jack and Harold Kraft sketched and built the first vortex prototype within three days in October 1958.
- They demonstrated it to scientists at Sunnyside Medical Laboratory days later, showing rapid practical uptake.
Brothers' Early Entrepreneurial Roots
- Jack and Harold grew up in New York after WWI, fixing radios and installing antennas during the Depression.
- Their complementary roles—Harold as salesman, Jack as technician—shaped later collaboration on instruments.
Solved Contamination And Sample Loss
- Existing lab mixing options were limited and risked contamination or sample loss.
- The vortex mixer solved both by mixing without introducing additional implements into samples.