Designing SmaRTStore with Absolute Vision solves a lab nightmare.
Long gone are the days when lab staff fumbled around in a walk-in freezing room to find their precious samples stored in racks of tubes identified only by not-so-indelible markings.
Clever boffins at RTS Group have built a reputation for designing automated systems and equipment used in a wide range of industries, including the life sciences sector. What they did was to deploy some unique technologies to meet client-specific requirements for high-efficiency storage and retrieval in a confined space that’s also subject to extremes of temperature.
The birth of SmaRTStore
RTS state-of-the-art technology works along the lines of proven and best-in-class engineering practice, requiring project teams to collaborate on products with specialist component developers. Thanks to such a collaboration between RTS and UK-based vision technology experts Absolute Vision Ltd., these two leaders in their respective areas of engineering expertise have created SmaRTStore, a compact automated store for pharma and biotech R&D labs. It holds vials, plates and tubes containing valuable compounds or tissue samples, precious biopharmaceuticals or sera at temperatures from ambient to -20 deg C.
Narrow aisle stores usually achieve 66 per cent storage efficiency, while SmaRTStore boasts 80 per cent. Despite being only 2m wide, 1.5m deep and 2.4m high it handles around a phenomenal 260,000 microtubes, or 5,000 shallow well plates.
Entry of robots with Absolute Vision
In order to cope with such big numbers, RTS had to deploy advanced robotics for rapid picking and retrieval of deposits via a CD-style entry portal, through an airlock chamber. This threw up a number of challenging design problems that had to be overcome in order to achieve accurate sample tracking and verification that were essential objectives of the SmaRTStore project.
RTS is a leader in its field both in the UK and the US. The group has been working for a number of years with Absolute Vision, which specializes in finding one-dimensional (1D, barcode) and also two-dimensional (2D) code reading and machine vision solutions for manufacturing problems.
Absolute Vision’s technical team worked closely with the RTS engineers to design a bespoke scanning solution consisting of two elements.
The entry portal must float several millimeters over any fixed code-reading equipment. Realising that the conventional supermarket-style scanner could not capture a barcode reliably, Absolute Vision used a digital camera, which takes pictures of the code. The camera has a larger field of view so that it can capture the barcode image at different heights and positions, filtering out everything other than the barcode.
SmaRTStore can hold a selection of 96-way microtube racks, SBS-standard microplates and vials held in 2 x 4 format. The camera can cope with all of these. To achieve its even greater storage efficiency, SmaRTStore stores samples by taking individual microtubes from their racks. This also allows a drug R&D team to select a specific group of compounds from their library to run further experiments.
Away with marking pens and labels
It would be practically impossible to identify each microtube individually using a conventional, 1D barcode because of its small size and the limited number of characters that can be stored on it. There is also a major difficulty in applying readable labels to a microtube surface, which often comes into contact with aggressive solvents or is subject to extreme temperatures.
Therefore each 1.4 ml microtube that enters SmaRTStore has a two-dimensional Data Matrix code directly marked on to its surface. The greater the amount of information that can be recorded the better. A binary format, which can be encoded into its rectangular or square array of cells, allows a huge number of unique codes to be generated on a small area, making verification much more reliable.
2D Data Matrix codes also carry an integral correction code, which makes them readable, even when up to 24 per cent damaged. A recent study in the US found the chance of misreads was less than one in 10.5 million reads. A combination of small size, legibility from any angle, low contrast and damage tolerance means that these codes are ideal for RTS’ needs.
Good readers need the best light
Absolute Vision adapted its flagship BioScan 96 Pro 2D code-reader to suit RTS’ requirements, which involved the difficult challenge of working strictly within the confines of SmaRTStore’s airlock chamber. Modifications included an adaptation of the profile of the unit to allow the airlock carriage to move through and above the reader. Enhanced lighting was a further development to allow for the limitation that the rack does not sit directly on the glass, but passes above. This lighting system delivers better contrast, making code reading much more reliable.
The imaging and analytical software package is now fully integrated within the production control system. The software underpinning SmaRTStore is RTS’ Remote d-SPRINT system which has integrated the 96-way reader’s own powerful Medusa™ software.
Although at ambient temperature relative to the storage chamber, SmaRTStore’s airlock chamber is purged with nitrogen to remove any moisture. BioScan 96 Pro has proved to be robust and it functions perfectly well under these conditions.
SmaRTS the word and sharp’s the Absolute Vision
RTS preferred to collaborate with Absolute Vision, because the company is independent and does not produce its own vials or microtubes. Its code readers and software can capture and interpret any 2D Data Matrix code on any container in production. Consequently, SmaRTStore is not tied to one brand of microtube, rack or vial.
James Craven, Head of SmaRTStore Development, RTS Group, commented, "We found it very useful for our engineers to sit down with Absolute Vision’s. We gave them a lot of headaches to solve, which they did."
"As the manufacturer we demanded a high level of confidence and support guarantee which Absolute Vision has delivered. Absolute Vision has come up with a very robust, dependable solution in a very refined environment."
"A combination of the imaginative application of reliable, adaptable technology and close liaison allowed Absolute Vision and RTS to work as a team to come up with a simple but effective solution."
Related article about BioMeridian Data Matrix
Further information about RTS Life Science
Keywords : Laboratory storage, Life science R&D, Pharma, Biotech, Tubes, Microtubes, Vials, Plates, SmARTstore, RTS Group, Absoute Vision Ltd., 2D Data Matrix, Scanning, Code reader, Temperature, Airlock chamber, BioScan 96 Pro
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