Automated Sample Journey – More Time for Core Laboratory Tasks

Overview

Efficiency, safety, and traceability are crucial in modern laboratories. Every step, from unlocking the refrigerator to scanning labels to delivery to centrifuges or analysis stations, is recorded and can be evaluated using AI-supported analyses.

The process is started and all devices are orchestrated via Synefex automation. First, the sample to be processed is uniquely identified in the FLUICS CONNECT database and its storage location in the Liebherr cooling system is displayed. When the user logs into the system, the cooling system is unlocked, the sample is verified, and the user takes possession of it. The sample is processed automatically at the laboratory island, which consists of the iHEX system from SmartLab Solutions.

There, the cobot from Universal Robots loads the Sigma centrifuge in a structured manner. The Sigma centrifuge ensures maximum process reliability thanks to its innovative bucket levelling function, which enables reproducible loading and unloading positions. This is the only way the collaborative robot can insert the samples precisely, while parameters such as speed, runtime, and temperature are automatically taken from the order.

After centrifugation, the supernatant and pellet are automatically separated and weighed. The values are fed back into the FLUICS CONNECT database so that sample status and measurement data remain traceable at all times. The samples are then safely transported to their designated storage locations. Using artificial intelligence and large language models, all sample information, e.g., storage locations and measurement results, can be retrieved.

The integration of robotics, intelligent data management, and digital process control creates a fully automated process chain—from sample preparation to sample processing and measurement data collection to storage. This reduces sources of error, increases reproducibility and productivity, and gives laboratory staff valuable time for what matters most: precise analysis and scientific interpretation of the results.