Westbrook, ME – Douglas Scientific, an emerging leader in high throughput laboratory automation, has incorporated the Artel MVS (Multichannel Verification System) into its engineering and development process for its innovative Array Tape™ liquid handling platforms. The Minnesota-based company acquired the MVS earlier this year to enable development of rapid and simple methods to assess the accuracy and precision of its liquid handling instrumentation. Once implemented, the engineering team quickly realized that it had a powerful R&D tool on its hands.

“With the significantly reduced assay volumes that the Array Tape platform supports, we’re continually driven to push the limits of dispensing technology. The MVS system allows our team, as well as our customers, to verify and validate dispensing performance on our equipment using the same standardized technology,” says Darren Cook, Business Development Executive at Douglas Scientific.

The Douglas Scientific Array Tape is a continuous polymer film (available in polypropylene, polystyrene and polycarbonate) in which standard SBS format 96-, 384-, or 1,536-well arrays are serially embossed. The tape is used in conjunction with the Nexar™, an automated liquid handler optimized for processing Array Tape. This modular, high-throughput, automated system can be configured to accommodate many laboratory processes and is optimized for high throughput applications. The Array Tape system delivers ultra-high throughput, reduced material handling, and the lowest cost per data point for its customers.

With the MVS, Douglas Scientific and its customers will have the means to verify liquid handling accuracy and precision on a channel-by-channel basis at volumes below 1 µL . The Artel measurements are traceable to international standards and take about 10 minutes to generate. Indeed, the MVS will allow Douglas Scientific to test and expand the boundaries of its existing technologies.

Beyond Proprietary Use

In addition to testing its own platforms and pushing its engineering boundaries, Douglas Scientific will also use the Artel MVS to test components from other manufacturers.

“The MVS system has proven to be a valuable tool in the evaluation of liquid handling technologies for our engineering team,” explains Cook. “From a QC standpoint, all manufacturers make claims of accurate dispenses and low CVs. Using the MVS, we can now validate those claims on our systems.”

Meanwhile, new Douglas Scientific customers will soon be able to walk away with a “birth certificate” for their new equipment. “Using the Artel MVS for factory acceptance testing and again during site installation will provide Douglas Scientific’s customers solid evidence that their specific system is performing to specification,” says Cook. “If something happens between the factory and our customer’s site, the Artel MVS rapidly provides that information and allows our technical staff to investigate and correct any issues at the time of system installation.”

Douglas Scientific also has plans to develop MVS-specific routines that will allow customers to test their machines using the Artel MVS. This is intended to make ongoing QC of the Array Tape platform faster and easier for end users.

“Douglas Scientific holds its customer in very high regard,” says Bjoern Carle, Ph.D., Laboratory Applications Scientist, Artel. “The company really cares about the performance of its instruments and recognizes the importance of accuracy and precision. With the Artel MVS, Douglas Scientific can rest assured that its systems are performing well and that their systems are delivering the volumes they are programmed to deliver.”

About Artel

Artel is a worldwide leader in liquid handling quality assurance. Artel manufactures the most accurate, precise and easy-to-use systems for ensuring data integrity in any process requiring liquid volume measurement. Artel systems, based on proprietary Ratiometric Photometry, conform to ISO 8655-7 and provide results traceable to national and international standards to ensure reproducible data and regulatory compliance. In addition, Artel provides liquid handling quality assurance support and consultation services including on-site Pipetting Technique Training and Quality Management Certification for pipette users and laboratory managers, and Liquid Handler Performance Verification services for automated laboratories. Since 1982, Artel technology has been proven in daily use in thousands of laboratories including pharmaceutical, clinical, forensic, public health and environmental. Leading institutions such as Amgen, ARUP, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Centers for Disease Control, DuPont, Eli Lilly, FBI, Genentech, Genomic Health, Mayo Clinic, Memorial Sloan-Ketterine Cancer Center, Merck, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble and U.S. FDA depend on Artel technology to help them meet their objectives for quality and productivity. For more information, contact Artel at 25 Bradley Drive, Westbrook, ME 04092; Tel: 207-854-0860; Fax: 207-854-0867; Website: www.artel-usa.com.

About Douglas Scientific

Douglas Scientific provides a revolutionary technology platform optimized for laboratory processing in embossed wells on a continuous array tape. Douglas Scientific is a company of Douglas Machine Inc. with corporate offices located at 3404 Iowa Street, Alexandria, MN 56308. For more information, contact Douglas Scientific at 320-762-6888 or visit www.douglasscientific.com.