Artel has showcased its MVS multichannel verification system, designed to optimise automated liquid handlers and provide liquid-handling quality assurance, at the European Lab Automation congress.
Automated liquid handlers are generally used to increase the repeatability of volume transfers, but they remain prone to error.
The MVS allows laboratories to implement regular calibration programs and verification checks for volume transfer accuracy and precision to identify robotic systems that are failing or are misadjusted for the assay in question.
Artel said this reduces liquid handling error.
The MVS is a rapid and user-friendly system that provides accuracy and precision data documenting the volume transfer performance of each channel of any automated liquid handler.
Able to function within a volume range of 0.01uL to 350uL, the system provides automatic reporting of volume statistics on tip-by-tip and well-by-well base within minutes of dispensing.
It can be fully integrated into existing automated quality control protocols.
The MVS uses ratiometric photometry - a technology that measures the absorbance values of two dye solutions to calculate the dispensed volume in each well of a microtitre plate.
Measurement results are traceable to the International System of units (SI) through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) reference standards.
The portable system does not require rigorous environmental controls.
It is compatible with 96-well and 384-well microtitre plates and is able to verify automated liquid handlers with one to 384 dispensing tips.
The photometric method is applicable for all volume measurements and is suitable for small volumes.
In one single measurement, the MVS uses ratiometric photometry to calculate the precision and accuracy of the transferred volume for each tip of the liquid handler.
In addition, volume verification using the MVS can be performed by using assay-specific reagents, such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).
