Thermo Fisher Scientific has collaborated with flexible automation software firm Artificial to integrate the latter’s automation software with Thermo Fisher’s Covid-19 testing platform.
Under the terms of the collaboration, Artificial will provide its aLab Suite software to integrate with Thermo Scientific Momentum Workflow software and robotics hardware.
Also, Thermo Fisher Scientific would leverage its experience in life sciences to offer feedback on the functioning of aLab Suite to contribute to future product requirements.
The integration of software and robotics platforms is expected to help increase the testing throughput and support global healthcare initiatives, said Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Thermo Fisher Scientific laboratory automation senior director and general manager Hansjoerg Haas said: “Laboratories performing Covid-19 testing continue to face the combined challenges of rapidly scaling workflows to meet the demands of communities while ensuring the accuracy and reproducibility of results.
“This collaboration enables biopharma and contract services companies to both simplify their lab technicians’ interactions with automated systems and more efficiently coordinate the use of their multiple Momentum automated systems, increasing productivity and minimizing user intervention to meet industry needs.”
With the collaboration, the integrated Covid-19 testing platform would help laboratories rapidly upscale the testing volumes to prevent the spread of the disease.
Artificial has designed its aLab Suite software to facilitate the dynamic scheduling of protocol runs with batch optimisations to enhance the number of tests run.
The manual system set-up steps related to momentum process execution can be controlled using aLab digital assistants to reduce the need for user input.
Also, a digital twin of aLab assistant’s Covid-19 testing system can be used to guide lab technicians on where, when and how to load system consumables.
The use of a digital twin would reduce errors that occur with manual tasks, and ensure sample safety and integrity along with increased system productivity.
Artificial CEO David Fuller said: “Artificial’s aLab Suite is a great addition to Thermo Fisher’s standardized Covid-19 Testing Platform solution in further enabling Covid-19 testing laboratories to easily and quickly scale their operations to meet the current demands.
“Our partnership with Thermo Fisher Scientific represents an exciting opportunity to improve Covid-19 testing throughput and further develop the aLab Suite to address the pain points of the life sciences market.”
