Constraints
The robot must be small enough to fit in typical research labs
The robot must cost less than current NMR preparation robots on the market
The attachment must be compatible with common NMR solvents
The attachment must fit within the height constraints of the robot
The attachment must not interfere with the other functions of the robot
The protocol must maintain the sterility of samples
The protocol must limit manual steps
The protocol must be compatible with the robot’s software
The attachment must be able to pipette common NMR solvents without deteriorative interactions between the solvent and the attachment
Criteria
The attachment should be able to fill both 3 mm and 5 mm diameter 4 in tall tubes specifically in a Bruker SampleJet tube rack
The attachment should be easy to implement
The attachment must be able to dispense precise volumes of samples without introducing bubbles
The protocol should be able to cherry-pick specific tube locations
The protocol must be able to function without technical human intervention
Standards
ISO 23783:
A standard maintained by the International Organization for Standardization that evaluates automated liquid handling systems by their volumetric performance. This is applicable to our project due to our objective to create a liquid handling robot.
Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories: The Center for Disease Control
The Center for Disease Control outlines standards for safety in biomedical and clinical laboratories including hazardous material and potential pathogen handling.
1910.132(a): Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Standard for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
This is a set of guidelines for PPE meant to protect researchers from preventable hazards in the laboratory. Following these standards will keep our team and those in the laboratory safe within our control. Safety is always a number one priority.
29 CFR 1910.1450: OSHA’s Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories Standard.
This is a standard for handling hazardous chemicals and exposures. Due to the use of hazardous organic solvents in NMR procedures, the team must be cautious and aware of all risks from these chemicals during design and testing stages of this project.