Pathology Decapper

This system is a complete handling solution for oral fluid vials or similar (e.g. blood, urine, nasal swabs etc), designed to speed up and automate the tedious task of decapping vials and moving them to instrument racks for analysis. After analysis, the instrument racks can be re-input into the machine, which will recap each vial with a fresh lid and place it into an archive rack for storage.

Samples for decapping are loaded into the system by the operator. The tray is registered and the machine commences operation. Each vial is picked up in turn and the barcode scanned to compare the sample ID to the value received from the clients LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System). If it doesn’t match or the sample cannot be found, the vial is placed back into the rack and flagged for operator intervention.

If the sample is valid, the automation will cut the security seal on the vial and then remove the cap. The cap is disposed of into a waste bin, and the open vial is transferred to the corresponding position in a Tecan instrument rack. Once finished, the operator removes the uncapped vials in the Tecan racks for analysis/further processing.

After analysis, the operator loads the Tecan racks with open vials back into the system. From here it will recap each vial with a fresh cap from the integrated cap feeder and sorter. The vial is then placed into a numbered rack for archiving. The sample ID and position within the rack are saved to AUTONOMA’s AVANTICA software which is interfaced to LIMS. This allows for an individual sample to be easily found in storage and rerun if required.

The system saves operators from the repetitive actions of uncapping and recapping hundreds of vials per day, and minimises their exposure to hazardous samples.

• Reduces/eliminates operator exposure to: 
  • manual handling 
  • dangerous substances
  • repetitive actions 
• Eliminates risk of sample mix-ups and result errors. 
• Excellent precision and accuracy (no variance between operators) 
• Frees up operators to perform more complex and valuable tasks. 
• Allows unattended processing of samples after hours. 
• Safety guarding and interlocks aligning to Australian Standards AS4024 – Safety of Machinery.  
• Allows easy integration with AUTONOMA’s other modular automation in the future, without costly modifications or engineering.

This system can be used in any vial handling workflows within some of the following industries:

• Pathology
• Mining
• Chemical
• Environmental
• Condition Monitoring

Additional modules can be added to expand its capabilities such as:

• AI Camera for sample identification, level detection etc
• Pipettes for Liquid Handling 
• Mixers
• Heating Blocks
• Reagent Addition 
• Direct instrument integration e.g. ICP, GC, etc

The system is linked to a PC on the network connected to the client’s LIMS to transfer files with the sample information. Otherwise it can be operated as a standalone system through the touchscreen HMI interface without the sample ID checking functionality.