Laboratory Automation Integrating equipment into a multi-vendor world

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Laboratory Automation Integrating
equipmentinto a multi-vendor world
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Programme
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Laboratory Automation Integrating
equipmentinto a multi-vendor world
Introduction
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Your Presenter

• Malcolm Crook
• Synthetic chemist
• 12 years in industry (BP)
• 19 years in automation
• 11 years running PAA
• 25 years writing software
• Visiting Reader in Chemistry at University of
  Surrey

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Laboratory Automation Integrating
equipmentinto a multi-vendor world Integration
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What do PAA offer

• Scheduling software
• OVERLORD Workstation
• OVERLORD Scheduler
• Systems integration expertise
• Data handling expertise
• links to LIMS
• links to databases
• wide range of peripherals

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PerkinElmer products
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Robots
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Mitsubishi
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Laboratory Automation Integrating
equipmentinto a multi-vendor world Scheduling
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Scheduling

• Two types
• Real time scheduling
• All decisions are taken during the time frame of
  the run
• i.e. once the GO button is pressed
• Pre-emptive scheduling
• All decisions are taken before the run starts
• i.e. before the GO button is pressed

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Real time scheduling

• Advantages
• flexible
• decisions can be taken during the run
• error recovery easy
• Disadvantages
• accurate timings are more difficult to set up
• two accurate timings in a run are impossible

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Pre-emptive scheduling

• Advantages
• one or more accurate timings are guaranteed
• easy to set up
• Disadvantages
• inflexible
• decisions can not be taken during the run
• error recovery more difficult

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Scheduling - the choice
pre-emptive
real-time
either
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Laboratory Automation Integrating
equipmentinto a multi-vendor world
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Our Automated Systems

• complete solution using existing equipment
• complete integration with other equipment
• complete integration of hardware / software
• integrated data handling

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FEATURES

• PC based, Windows 2000/XP
• full password and user identification
• full interfacing with LIMS via text files
• icon based, flow chart interface
• on-line context sensitive manual
• drag and drop setup
• European language support

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OVERLORD

• flow diagrams
• hierarchical control
• interface
• instrument control
• general functionality
• connection to the outside world
• 21CFR user access
• expandability

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flow diagrams

• Natural method of experiment description
• easy to understand
• easy to explain to another
• easy to check logic

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comment
N 3 loops
N 3
Loop for n samples
Action 1
Action 2
N N 1
Next sample
All done
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hierarchical control

• Organised programming
• logical units of operations
• reusable procedures

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OVERLORD
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OVERLORD
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interface

• flow diagram analogue
• automatically filled in to aid programming
• interface follows Microsoft visual specifications

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Instrument control

• any device that can be controlled by
• serial communications
• switch on/off
• variable voltage
• use of equipment native control software
• with automation interface
• without automation interface

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Runtime

• full self documentation/audit trail
• data storage on server/local disc
• clear, easy to read runtime interface

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Laboratory Automation Integrating
equipmentinto a multi-vendor world Example of
real time scheduling 1
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Plate reading

• Process a stack of plates
• pass through a plate reader
• collate the results

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Laboratory Automation Integrating
equipmentinto a multi-vendor world Example of
real time scheduling 2
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Laboratory Automation Integrating
equipmentinto a multi-vendor world Example of
pre-emptive scheduling
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Integrating a MultiPROBE II

• Hit picking
• batch of plates stored in MolBank
• process plate for stage on Matrix Platemate plus
• Instruments
• Jouan MolBank
• PerkinElmer MultiPROBE II
• Hamilton SWAP robot
• Liconic plate store

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Laboratory Automation Integrating
equipmentinto a multi-vendor world High
Throughput Systems
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System integration

• Same as all the other systems we have described
• OVERLORD software control package
• ability to use large instruments

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high throughput systems

• single computer control
• same OVERLORD interface
• maximum use of processing power
• require maximum throughput
• requires complex scheduling algorithms
• expensive
• complicated
• difficult to set up

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Very high throughput

• One PC cannot control everything
• processor switching on Windows inefficient
• one instrument 100
• two instrument 140 (not 200)
• Multiply processor system required

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Our answer

• Distributed processing
• NetLORD
• allows any number of workstations
• full efficiency of all workstations
• logical control
• unsophisticated control required
• cheap to install
• easy to understand

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Laboratory Automation Integrating
equipmentinto a multi-vendor world High
Throughput SystemsAmes II test
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NetLORD

• New concept in multi instrument control
• uses standard Ethernet protocols
• full control of instruments over network
• reduced need for scheduling algorithms
• uses simple workflow control interface
• low cost to implement

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Advantages

• uses same interface as OVERLORD
• PC / piece of equipment ensures throughput
• no timing problems
• redundancy can be built into the system

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Laboratory Automation Integrating
equipmentinto a multi-vendor world Data
handling
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Communication to the outside world

• Input
• manual data input
• experimental setup
• text files, csv
• data from LIMS
• data from database

• Output
• report/printer
• data file, text file
• data to LIMS
• data to database

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Data Handling

• Data can be handled with
• Microsoft EXCEL
• Microsoft WORD
• Microsoft VB Scripts
• Microsoft VB for Applications
• Microsoft Access
• Oracle SQL

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EXCEL - data setup page
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EXCEL
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Laboratory Automation Integrating
equipmentinto a multi-vendor world Summary
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Summary
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Information

• www.paa.co.uk
• pictures
• application notes
• technical details
• system descriptions
• PAA
• info_at_paa.co.uk
• 44 1252 373000