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Assay Manager |
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Assay Manager is a simple way to run your laboratory automation assays on a day-to-day basis.
Traditionally laboratory automation software packages like Overlord3 have been used to control an automated workcell on a day-to-day basis. The flexibility of such an automated control package is a strength and a weakness. We know that we can apply Overlord3 to control a workcell as small as a stacker with a plate reader, for example a MDS Molecular Devices StakMax loading plates on to a Spectromax plate reader. We can also apply the same software package to control a complex two arm workcell, such as the Robot Scientist project at the University of Aberystwyth. However the requirement to run Overlord3, load the required Overlord3 procedure and then answer the dialog box questions to ensure the automated workcell is setup and ready to run, in not as intuitive as we would like as it deals with the process not the user’s samples. In addition to this, a customer with multiple Overlord3 installations or even multiple platforms from different manufacturers has a major training problem for the end users of all the systems.
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Assay Manager for Overlord2
 download file/document
Novel ways of controlling laboratory automated work cells
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paa have been working on a solution to this problem and have introduced Assay Manager. Assay Manager is an additional piece of software that is used to interface the end user with the automation system. A workcell in the laboratory has the Assay Manager user interface with the option for a user to add batches of samples to the automation system, review the current status of the automation system and add new user processes. On selecting the Add function, the user is presented with a dialog box requesting information about the batch of samples or plates, these details would relate to the standard operating procedure and could be information such as; number of samples, liquid handler or plate reader protocol name and liquid dispensing volumes. On completion of these key details, the user is directed to load the samples in a prescribed stack or incubator and when the automation system is ready to run, the batch of samples is processed. The display screen shows the user that the run is underway and also on completion, the user is advised where to collect the output plates.
Additional advantages of this approach are:
- a second and third user can load their batches of plates on to the automation system and these batches will be run sequentially
- multiple automation platforms can have identical user interfaces with all the training benefits that would bring
Assay Manager has the obvious advantages of efficiency and out of office hours use of expensive capital equipment and has been adopted in a number of pharmaceutical laboratories. |
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One click to add a new batch of assays
One user interface for multiple platforms
Optional inventory management on your automated workcell
Efficient laboratory automation
Integrate any of the 300+ instruments in the Overlord3 instrument driver list
Runtime review screen |
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Easy to set up a batch of samples
Easy to train staff to use automated workcells
Full inventory guarantees sample tracking
See users choose automation over manual procedures and improve lab efficiency at a stroke
Build an automated system around YOUR choice of equipment not the software suppliers supported range
View what is happening on your workcell.
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Assay Manager for Overlord2 |
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The screen has three areas:
Queued Batches – use the Add button to add a new batch of assays. Once the information has been processed, the batch is passed to the Running Batches section.
Running Batch – the top entry is processed and the parameter data is passed to the Overlord3 runtime engine, and the batch is processed on the automation workcell. Once the batch has be completed on the automation workcell the batch is passed to the Completed Batches section.
Completed Batches – The completed batched are placed here, use the Remove button to delete the catch and information of where the batch samples are located for removal from the automated workcell. |
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Login as administration to access the setup parameters
Setup, dependent on the assay but includes Labware and Protocol setups
Plate Inventory, where the plates are located during any batch run |
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Use Assay Manager as a user interface to your automated system, and see the benefits of productive as users choose automation over manual sample preparation and management.
download app note
Assay Manager for Overlord2 |
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