Artel Exhibits Latest Technology for Optimizing Automated Liquid Handlers at ELA 2011

During the inaugural edition of the European Lab Automation congress (June 30 – July 1, 2011 at the CCH - Congress Center in Hamburg, Germany) Artel (booth #28), the worldwide leader in liquid handling quality assurance, will exhibit its MVS® Multichannel Verification System.

The use of automated liquid handling equipment to rapidly test and reproducibly screen thousands of compounds is an essential component to life science laboratories on a global scale.

Along with an increase in use of automated liquid handlers, transferred volumes have become increasingly small and, yet, demands for the accuracy and precision of such transfers are constantly increasing.

Automated liquid handlers are generally used to increase the repeatability of volume transfers, but they are still prone to error. The Artel MVS allows laboratories to implement regular calibration programs and verification checks for volume transfer accuracy and precision to quickly identify those robotic systems that are failing or are misadjusted for the assay in question, reducing liquid handling error.

Few methods are available for liquid handling quality assurance that can quickly and accurately verify dispensed volumes in the nanoliter range. The MVS is a rapid, 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 0.01 μL to 350 µL, 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 and implemented by a technician of any skill level.

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 microtiter plate. Measurement results are traceable to the International System of Units (SI) through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) reference standards.

The system, which is highly portable and does not require rigorous environmental controls, is compatible with 96-well and 384-well microtiter plates and able to verify automated liquid handlers with 1-384 dispensing tips.

The photometric method is applicable for all volume measurements and is particularly suited for small volumes. In one single measurement, the MVS uses ratiometric photometry to calculate both the precision and accuracy of the transferred volume for each tip of the liquid handler.

Moreover, volume verification using the MVS can be performed by using assay specific reagents, such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).

Leading up to ELA, the MVS was used to assess transfer performance of Scienion AG’s sciFLEXARRAYER®, a piezo-based, non-contact dispensing system for ultra-low-volume liquid handling. During the show, Artel’s Dr. Stefan Schork will present the results in a poster titled “Assessing Nanoliter Transfer Performance for Scienion Ultra-Low-Volume Liquid Handler Using the Artel Dual-Dye Ratiometric Photometry.”

“Over the years, the Artel MVS has become the industry standard for liquid handling quality assurance in labs across the United States and in numerous labs in Europe,” said Dr. Schork, who heads up Artel’s business development efforts in Europe.

Dr. Schork continued, “The more frequently laboratories verify the performance of their automated liquid handlers, the stronger their confidence is in their assay results. The Artel MVS can help laboratories understand their automated liquid handlers, allowing them to take steps to measurably improve quality, productivity and data integrity.”

Also at ELA, Dr. A. Björn Carle, Product Manager, Artel, will present a poster titled “Ensuring your Automated Liquid Handler Works for your Assays,” showcasing how the MVS was used to detect errors and optimize performance in various situations, ensuring high-quality assay results.