Automated pipetting robot for proxy high-throughput viscometry of Newtonian fluids

Abstract

In this work, we develop a proxy high-throughput viscometer for Newtonian fluids with viscosities between 1500 and 12 000 cP.

Optimization of liquid handling parameters for viscous liquid transfers with pipetting robots, a “sticky situation”

“…). While a plethora of automated tools are now commercially available or have been reported in the literature, 1–7 many basic tasks that are performed in a laboratory setting remain challenging to implement through automated methods. In particular, the transfer of liquids with viscosities larger than 100 cP is a task that is still challenging to automate, 8 while being of high relevance to the fields of biology, polymer, and formulation sciences.…”

“…Currently, to automate chemical experiments researchers must buy or build different tools that are put together as modules, each replicating a single task normally performed in laboratory settings for a specic experiment (such as solid and liquid mass transfer, heating, stirring, ltration, etc.). While a plethora of automated tools are now commercially available or have been reported in the literature, [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] many basic tasks that are performed in a laboratory setting remain challenging to implement through automated methods. In particular, the transfer of liquids with viscosities larger than 100 cP is a task that is still challenging to automate, 8 while being of high relevance to the elds of biology, polymer, and formulation sciences.…”

Go with the flow: deep learning methods for autonomous viscosity estimations

“…Capillary viscometers relate viscosity to the time taken for a fluid to discharge through a capillary tube and can operate on a microlitre scale, achieving accuracies of 2 percent with as little as 20 μL of fluid. 13 However, microfluidic viscometers typically require extensive cleaning 14 and can suffer from chip degradation or obstruction of the channels. 15 Likewise, high-throughput rotational viscometer platforms exist, 16 but they are usually expensive, and samples often need to be reformatted to be presented to the instrument.…”

“…For a materials discovery workflow, however, this strategy is less appealing because it requires the manipulation (stirring) of each sample, which in turn necessitates operations such as decapping and re-capping of vials. Soh et al 14 developed an automated pipetting robot to measure viscosity of Newtonian fluids with viscosities between 1500–12 000 cP. Here, the liquid handling robot aspirates a fluid and dispenses it into well plate under fixed dispensing conditions.…”

Optimization of Liquid Handling Parameters for Viscous Liquid Transfers with Pipetting Robots, a “Sticky Situation”

“…Currently, to automate chemical experiments researchers must buy or build different tools that are put together as modules, each replicating a single task normally performed in laboratory settings for a specific experiment (such as solid and liquid mass transfer, heating, stirring, filtration, etc.). While a plethora of automated tools are now commercially available or have been reported in the literature [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] , many basic tasks that are performed in a laboratory setting remain challenging to implement through automated methods. In particular the transfer of liquids with viscosities larger than 100 cP is a task that is still challenging to automate 8 , while being of high relevance to the fields of biology, polymer and formulation sciences.…”