Co-located Automated Life Science Laboratory and Data Center
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current biological specimen storage and analysis are often conducted in urban locations with high space and electricity costs, and are not optimized for geographic proximity to specimen collection sites, leading to inefficiencies and increased expenses.
Innovation Solution
Co-locating automated life science laboratories and storage facilities with data centers in sites identified for their low land and electricity costs, sharing infrastructure such as power, cooling, and security systems, and utilizing high-speed data connections for efficient data transfer and analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If biological specimens are stored and analyzed at urban specimen collection sites, then specimen analysis can be performed in close proximity to collection sites, but operational costs are high due to expensive land and electricity prices
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates specimen collection functions from specimen storage and analysis functions. Collection sites maintain only storage capabilities while sending specimens to remote automated laboratories for analysis, dividing the workflow to optimize cost and efficiency at each location
Solution Approach 2:
An automated life science laboratory acts as an intermediary between urban collection sites and final analysis destinations. This intermediary facility receives specimens, performs initial processing and storage, and manages data transfer, reducing the need for expensive urban infrastructure
2Use of energy by moving object
If automated life science laboratories are built in remote locations with lower costs, then operational expenses are reduced, but infrastructure requirements become more challenging to meet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines data center infrastructure with automated life science laboratory facilities in the same remote location. This merging allows shared use of building infrastructure, security systems, and utility connections, reducing the complexity of establishing separate facilities while maintaining cost advantages
Solution Approach 2:
The co-located facility serves multiple functions: data center operations, automated laboratory operations, specimen storage, and data analysis. This multi-functionality maximizes the utility of the remote location infrastructure and reduces per-function costs
3Use of energy by moving object
If biological specimens are stored remotely from collection sites, then operational costs are reduced, but data transfer requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The automated life science laboratory serves as an intermediary that performs data preprocessing and consolidation before transfer to final destinations. This intermediary function reduces the volume and complexity of data that needs long-distance transmission, minimizing information loss and transfer requirements
Data Source
AI summary
An automated life science laboratory or a storage facility for biological specimens may be located together with or in close proximity to a data center. The location of the data center, the automated life science laboratory, and the storage facility may be a location in which land and/or electricity are less expensive than locations where the biological specimens are collected. The automated life science laboratory may have a high-capacity data connection to the data center. The life science laboratory, storage facility, and the data center may share a connection to the electrical grid, an HVAC system, and/or a security perimeter. A biological specimen may be removed from storage at the storage facility, process by one or more biotechnology protocols at the automated life science laboratory, and data from the processing may be stored in the data center.