Automated System Introduced for Blood Fractionation in Biobanking Applications

A fully automated workstation was launched for blood fractionation in biobanking applications. It effectively eliminates error-prone manual pipetting steps and increases the safety of biobanking samples with state-of-the-art imaging technology, excellent pipetting capabilities, and powerful sample tracking software.

The easyBlood STARlet workstation was introduced at the annual Society of Laboratory Automation and Screening meeting in January 2013. The system is a high-throughput, fully integrated workstation that enables technicians to reliably pipette the desired layer of primary blood samples, including the buffy coat. Compatible with laboratory information management systems (LIMS), it offers full traceability by ensuring that data can be linked confidently to each sample, and enables an efficient biobanking workflow.

The easyBlood STARlet system is manufactured by Hamilton (Bonaduz, Switzerland) and is based on the compact Hamilton Robotics Microlab STARlet platform. The Hamilton STAR line of instruments offers laboratories flexibility in liquid handling application design, including heating and cooling devices, multichannel heads, and HEPA hoods. The easyBlood STARlet workstation offers customers the ability to fractionate blood from a multitude of primary sample tubes to a variety of 2D-barcoded and storage-ready target containers found in today’s biobanks.

The comprehensive easyBlood STARlet system includes all required components and software for reading and loading barcoded, decapped samples, and additional labware such as plates and pipette tips. The instrument's high-resolution, camera-based fraction identification detects difficult targets, such as buffy coats and gel separators in centrifuged samples. The system provides complete control and monitoring of the pipetting process with software-enabled adjustment of pipetting speed to suit specific liquid classes. All three fractions (plasma, buffy coat, and erythrocytes) are pipetted and aliquoted as desired.

The easyBlood workstation also integrates with the new, -80 °C BiOS third-generation automated storage system, which was designed for sample integrity and superior service.

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