Automated Pipette Tip Defragmentation in Fluid Handling Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fluid handling systems require manual intervention to check and reload partially filled pipette tip containers, leading to labor-intensive and time-consuming processes, as well as potential contamination due to manual handling of unused pipette tips.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that automatically defragments and reformatting pipette tips within containers by determining empty and filled locations, moving tips to optimize their arrangement, and strategically reloading unused tips to reduce empty spaces and improve access, using imaging and sensing technologies to track consumption and relocate tips.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual checking and reloading of pipette tip containers is performed, then the system can maintain operational readiness, but labor intensity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid handling system automatically monitors its own pipette tip inventory and performs reloading operations without external intervention. The system checks container status, identifies empty receptacles, and autonomously transfers tips from backup containers, enabling self-maintenance and eliminating manual labor for inventory management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the status of pipette tip containers and provides real-time feedback on inventory levels. This feedback mechanism triggers automatic reloading operations when tips are depleted, creating a closed-loop system that maintains operational readiness through continuous monitoring and responsive action.
2Productivity
If manual handling of unused pipette tips is performed to reload containers, then containers can be replenished, but contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-replenishment by automatically transferring pipette tips from backup containers to operational containers using its own mechanical components. This eliminates the need for manual handling of potentially contaminated tips, as the automated transfer mechanism maintains sterile conditions while restocking supplies.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses an automated transfer mechanism as an intermediary between backup containers and operational containers. This intermediary device handles the tips in a controlled, sterile environment, preventing direct manual contact and thereby eliminating contamination risks associated with human handling.
3Ease of manufacture
If pipette tips are arranged in traditional rectangular arrays, then manufacturing is simple, but access efficiency for multichannel pipetting is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically reconfigures the arrangement of pipette tips within containers based on operational requirements. Rather than using fixed traditional arrays, the system can adaptively organize tips in patterns optimized for multichannel pipetting, such as linear arrangements that align with mandrel configurations, thereby improving access efficiency while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through software-controlled positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for automatically defragmenting pipette tips in a tip tray during the performance of a procedure defined by a protocol stored in memory of a fluid handling system, the method comprising determining locations of open receptacles in the tip tray where pipette tips are absent, determining locations of filled receptacles in the tip tray where pipette tips are present, and using the fluid handling system to move pipette tips from filled receptacles to open receptacles to complete strings of filled receptacles in the tip tray.