52 n MACHINE BUILDING April 2023 www.drivesncontrols.com microtiter plate wells. To avoid contamination, each tip is used for just one sample and then discarded. Piercing the cap saves time and money, because conventional opening and closing systems are not needed. It also eliminates the human errors that can occur when manually pipetting hundreds of samples into tubes. A separate handling system, based on Festo’s EXCM-30 planar surface gantry, uses electric grippers to pick up the filled microtiter plate and place it in a heat sealer, where it is sealed using a plastic film. The sealed plate is then placed in an RT block, which triggers the conversion of the RNA, if present, into complementary DNA (cDNA). Finally, the plate is placed in a thermal cycler, where a PCR reaction takes place and the cDNA is amplified. An ultrafast fluorescence detection system determines whether the cDNA sequence of the pathogen of interest is present in any of the samples. The test results are available electronically after 1 to 2 hours, allowing clinicians to determine the best treatment plans for their patients. To avoid the need for an external pneumatic supply, the test platform uses a Festo PGVA pressure and vacuum generator, which produces a pressure or vacuum of ±0.5 bar. A 24V power supply provides the pressure and vacuum system with compressed air. “Thanks to the close cooperation between Fast MDx and Festo, we were able to build the first prototypes quickly and efficiently, despite the extremely high degree of complexity,” Lewis reports. Fast MDx is planning to expand the system’s capabilities to include tests for infections such as C-Diff and MRSA, as well as for sepsis, which kills about 11 million people worldwide every year. The system could also be used to perform genomic testing, informing doctors what screening tests are needed, based on a patient’s DNA, to detect hereditary diseases at an early stage. “This enables patients to make lifestyle changes to avoid the onset of diseases to which they are genetically predisposed,” Lewis explains. He claims that the new test platform is the first in the world to make molecular testing and diagnostics accessible everywhere, not just in affluent countries. “The advantage for operators is that the system does not tie up capital, as we will lend the Fast MDx test platform to operators free of charge,” he adds. n Separate gantries are used for pipetting and dispensing liquids, and to move and position the microwell plate.
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