US Patent specifically covers the design and associated method of an automated system for collecting, weighing and dispensing powdered compounds for laboratory applications
Innovate Engineering and Design, an early-stage instrumentation company developing systems for automated compound handling, reports allowance by the US Patent and Trademark Office of the application entitled 'Systems and Methods for Collecting Particulate Substance'.
The patent specifically covers the design and associated method of an automated system for collecting, weighing and dispensing powdered compounds for laboratory applications.
John Jones is named as the inventor.
The patent covers the principle behind Innovate's Nova compound collection system, an instrument designed to speed the collection and distribution of compounds in particulate or crystalline form.
The unit uses a disposable collection pin, which eliminates the possibility of cross-contamination and the need for additional cleaning steps, to measure and dispense amounts ranging from 0.2mg to 10mg with superior accuracy and virtually no sample loss, says the company.
Source and destination containers can include any combination of glass vials, plastic tubes, and even flat surfaces.
Each Nova system is equipped with a barcode reader for sample tracking and can be linked to a database for inventory control.
The instrument can be used alone, in tandem with other Nova units to increase throughput or integrated into a client's current compound management system.
Traditional compound storage arrangements relying on freezers can lead to substantial sample degradation due to dilution and freeze/thaw cycles, says Innovate.
The Nova compound collection system obviates the need for extensive sub-zero storage space by allowing the retrieval of small amounts of dry compound on an as-needed basis in less than one minute.
"Being able to access compounds quickly and accurately and without the need for dilution or prior manipulation can free up laboratory personnel and translate into measurable cost savings, both in terms of compound conservation and eliminating the likelihood of human error in the difficult task of weighing and dispensing minute quantities of a particulate substance.
"With the Nova CCS we aim to increase our clients' productivity by removing a significant hurdle in the drug discovery process," stated John Jones, president and owner of Innovate Engineering and Design.
Headquartered in San Diego, California, Innovate Engineering and Design specialises in the design and development of innovative systems for compound handling to address the challenges faced by clients in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and chemical industries.
The company's primary product, the Nova compound collection system, utilises a proprietary technology for measuring minute quantities of particulate or crystalline substances that does not rely on traditional vacuum-based or mechanically-driven methods.
Demonstration videos can be viewed on the company's website
