Liquid handling robot

A Tecan Freedom EVO & Temo liquid handling robot

An example of anthropomorphic robot for liquid handling (Andrew Alliance)

液体处理机器人应用在化学制品自动化或生物化学实验室中。它是一个可以将选定数量的试剂、样品或者其他液体分发到指定容器中的机器人。

Pipetting heads of a liquid handling robot

多功能性

最简单的版本可以简单地从电动吸移管或者注射器分发定量的液体；复杂的机器可以操控分液器和容器的位置，并且/或者与实验室设备进行集成，比如离心机、酶标仪、热封机、加热器/振动器，扫码器、光度检测设备、存储设备和孵化器。

复杂的液体处理工作站可以进行多项实验单元操作，比如样品传送，样品混合、操作和孵化，以及与其他工作站之间进行容器传送。

They can range from a specialized bench-top 8-channel DNA PCR processing robot, to a customized-for-process automated liquid handling system, such as the TECAN Freedom EVO (shown on the right) and Janus Automated liquid handlers from Perkinelmer. Other liquid handling systems are specifically designed for specific experiments, e.g. the Intavis InsituPro robot for the automation of immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization on whole-mounts and slides.

An alternative category of liquid handlers mimics the operations of humans, by performing liquid transfers as humans would do. These robots achieve the cartesian, 3-axis movements implemented in larger workstations, by means of an arm. Anthropomorphic robots better integrate into laboratories designed for manual pipetting operations, since they can strictly reproduce the pipetting procedures adopted by humans. In some cases (like the "Andrew" system shown on the right ) they can even use the same pipettes and consumables, being based on camera-based vision algorithms like those implemented in modern domotics and robotics developments.

Modularity

Liquid handling robots can be customized using different add-on modules such as centrifuges, PCR machines, colony pickers, shaking modules, heating modules and others. Some liquid handling robots utilize Acoustic Liquid Handling which uses sound to move liquids without the traditional pipette or syringe.

Control Software

Control software, either on a connected computer, or integrated into the system itself, allows the user to customize the liquid handling procedures and transfer volumes.