by Xianghua Chu, Heidi Fleischer, Thomas Roddelkopf, Norbert Stoll, Michael Klos and Kerstin Thurow
AL
Automated Sample Preparation Using a Dual-Arm Robotic Platform
As described in this article, the CSDA10F dual-arm robot (Yaskawa, Kitakyushu, Japan) can utilize pipets, syringes, vials, microplates and thermal shakers (including pipets and a thermal shaker designed for manual use) to prepare and transfer samples.1
When sample preparation is
complete, samples are transferred to a GC/MS (gas chromatography–mass spectrometry) or LC/MS (liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry) autosampler (see Figure 1).1–3
Programming and operation The robot must be programmed to handle different labware and devices
for full automation to be achieved. A series of robot programs, or robot jobs, were created to eliminate the need to reprogram the robot to handle different samples.2
These programs make up the motion database. Several
robot jobs are selected from the motion database and are then combined to carry out a task (see below).
For liquid handling, the dual-arm robot uses manual pipets and labware such as glass vials, microplates and reservoirs. The robot uses a simple microplate shaker, a thermal shaker for single vials or microplates and an ultrasonic bath for homogenizing solutions. Operations include sample transfer, opening/closing doors and lids, pressing a button or turning a knob to start/stop.
System integration SAMI Workstation EX (Beckman Coulter, Brea, Calif.) process control soft-
ware provides a GUI (graphical user interface) that enables easy process or assay design4
and process scheduling functionality even by those without
robotic programming knowledge. The software incorporates optimized planning and data-driven dynamic rescheduling for prevalidated sched- ules and run-time flexibility. Figure 2 shows a SAMI program for opening vials. Labware positions, processes and devices are represented by icons connected by lines; the arrow indicates flow direction. When the SAMI program is executed, the robot selects the vials and removes and places their lids at the chosen positions. Users can design processes for pipetting, shaking and transferring labware or samples. A software interface written in C# integrates the robot into the software system (see Figure 3 caption for details).
Experimental The experiments below demonstrate performance of the CSDA10F dual-
arm robot. AMERICAN LABORATORY 44
Figure 2 – SAMI program for opening vials. Left: icon is used to select vials with different volumes and positions on the rack. “Remove lid” represents process to remove the lid from the labware. In the flowing process, the Labware slot is connected to a Home icon, meaning that the vial will be placed back in the home position from which it was chosen. The Lid slot is connected to the Change Home icon, which is used to redefine new Home positions for lids, and is then connected to another Home icon. Thus the lids will be released to new defined positions.
Determining enantiomeric excess of chiral compounds This process5,6
included preparation of standard and sample solutions,
derivatization and final dilution. Following the sample assay process, designed by the user with SAMI software, the robot carried out sample preparation with the same laboratory equipment used in the manual
MAY 2016
Figure 1 – CSDA10F dual-arm robot (1) picking up a pipet, (2) LC/MS, (3) GC/MS, (4) pipets on shelf and (5) deck for labware.
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