Vial Handling Module

A Complete Vial Handling Module for Laboratory Automation

This system is a complete handling solution for vials, test-tubes, flasks and more (e.g., blood, urine, nasal swabs, oral fluid), engineered to fully automate the tedious and repetitive tasks of sample preparation. It fundamentally transforms the laboratory workflow, freeing skilled technicians from decapping hundreds of vials and moving them to instrument racks for analysis. After analysis, the system manages the final stage, recapping each vial with a fresh lid and placing it into an archive rack for secure, traceable storage. This end-to-end automation not only speeds up processing but also significantly reduces the risk of Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI).

Precision Decapping and LIMS Integration

The process begins when a lab technician loads trays of capped samples into the system. Each vial is robotically picked and its barcode is scanned to compare the sample ID against the worklist received from the client’s LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System). If an ID doesn’t match or cannot be found, the vial is returned to the rack and flagged for manual intervention, ensuring complete data integrity. For valid samples, the automation precisely cuts the security tape seal and removes the cap. This focus on specialised, automated decapping is a core principle of our designs, much like with our dedicated Postage Bottle Decapper that handles oil bottle containers. The cap is disposed of, and the open vial is transferred to the corresponding position in a Tecan instrument rack, ready for analysis.

Secure Recapping and Automated Archiving

After analysis, the lab technician re-inputs the Tecan racks into the system. From here, the handling module recaps each vial with a fresh cap from an integrated feeder and sorter, preventing any potential cross-contamination. The recapped vial is then placed into a numbered archive rack. The sample ID and its exact storage position are saved to AUTONOMA’s AVANTICA software, which interfaces directly with the clients LIMS. This creates a complete, searchable digital chain of custody, allowing any individual sample to be easily located and retrieved for re-testing if required.

Enhancing Technician Safety and Throughput

By automating the entire workflow, this vial handling module saves technicians from monotonous, high-volume actions and minimises their physical exposure to potentially hazardous samples, creating a safer and more efficient laboratory environment.

• Reduces/eliminates lab technician 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.