Insights from maxon at MassRobotics’ Healthcare Robotics Webinar
As laboratories evolve to deal with an rising quantity of complicated duties, automation has shifted from being a luxurious to a necessity. This was the important thing message from Robotics in Healthcare: Revolutionizing Laboratory Automation with Precision Drive Methods, a latest webinar hosted by MassRobotics’s Healthcare Robotics Working Group and that includes insights from maxon’s Sandro Walter, World Enterprise Improvement for Laboratory Automation and Life Science, and Michael Beasley, Enterprise Improvement Supervisor for US Industrial Automation. The dialogue, moderated by Mary Jane McCraven, Advertising and Enterprise Improvement Supervisor at Harmonic Drive LLC, explored the present panorama of lab automation, specializing in the challenges laboratories face at present and the alternatives automation gives to reinforce accuracy, effectivity, and scalability.
0:00 – Introduction and Overview
3:33 – Maxon’s Overview by Michael Beasley
8:24 – Challenges in Lab Automation by Sandro Walter
13:05 – Case Research: Liquid Dealing with
19:29 – Case Research: Centrifuges
27:32 – Collaborative Options for Lab Automation
29:00 – Q&A Session moderated by Mary Jane McCraven
Rising Pressures and the Want for Automation
The demand for automation in laboratories is being pushed by a number of elements, together with the ageing international inhabitants, rising healthcare prices, and rising stress to course of extra exams in much less time. Sandro Walter highlighted that the United Nations initiatives that by 2050, over 1.5 billion folks will likely be aged over 65, considerably rising the necessity for healthcare companies. With continual sicknesses on the rise and new drug developments constantly rising, labs should adapt to course of bigger volumes of samples extra rapidly and precisely than ever earlier than.
These calls for are compounded by the rising concern of employees shortages and the excessive value of constructing and sustaining laboratory amenities. Walter emphasised that automation is not only an choice anymore, however a necessary a part of laboratory operations, because it permits labs to fulfill larger throughput calls for whereas sustaining precision.
The Reproducibility Disaster: A Name for Precision
One of the vital important challenges mentioned was the “reproducibility disaster” in laboratory analysis. A 2016 examine performed by Nature discovered that over 70% of researchers have been unable to breed one other scientist’s experiments, whereas greater than 60% failed to breed their outcomes. This highlights important points in scientific reproducibility throughout a number of disciplines. Walter underscored this level, illustrating the necessity for precision in lab automation. Automated techniques can play a vital function in mitigating the dangers related to human error, making certain that processes are constant and repeatable throughout a number of trials, a significant consider fields like pharmaceutical analysis and diagnostics.
Key Challenges in Lab Automation
Throughout the panel, Walter and Beasley delved into a number of particular challenges that laboratories face at present:
- Excessive Throughput Calls for: Laboratories should course of tons of, if not 1000’s, of samples per day, inserting immense stress on tools to carry out rapidly and precisely. Walter identified that superior drive techniques must be dynamic and able to fast adjustments in course whereas sustaining a excessive degree of precision to fulfill these calls for.
- Downtime and Upkeep: Walter emphasised the pricey disruptions that may happen when lab tools fails. He cited a survey that discovered 70% of laboratories recognized downtime as a vital concern. To fight this, they suggest utilizing brushless motors and high-quality supplies reminiscent of ceramic parts to increase tools life and decrease upkeep.
- Workflow Effectivity: Laboratories should make sure that each step within the workflow is environment friendly and dependable. Walter famous that precision is essential, significantly in liquid dealing with techniques, the place high-resolution encoders guarantee correct pattern measurement all the way down to the nanoliter scale.
- House Constraints: As labs face rising calls for for space-efficient options, Walter highlighted the pattern towards smaller, extra compact devices. By integrating drive techniques that optimize each house and efficiency, prospects can shrink the footprint of their tools
Alternatives for Innovation: Case Research
All through the dialogue, Walter shared case research that demonstrated how maxon’s tailor-made method has helped purchasers overcome these challenges. In a single instance, the client changed a bigger motor with a smaller, brushless model for a liquid dealing with system, considerably bettering precision whereas lowering the system’s footprint. A ceramic lead screw was used to increase the lifetime of the system and scale back upkeep wants.
In one other case, the consumer needed to enhance centrifuge efficiency by addressing vibration and noise points. By refining the drive system, the client was in a position to improve the accuracy and reliability of the tools, whereas additionally extending its operational life.
A Buyer-Centric Strategy
Michael Beasley, who oversees maxon’s industrial automation sector within the US, emphasised the significance of understanding buyer wants and creating tailor-made options. He defined that maxon’s method typically begins with customary parts, that are then personalized to fulfill particular consumer necessities.
Beasley burdened that the shift towards extra solution-based approaches in lab automation is not only pushed by the purchasers who’re searching for extra complete, ready-to-deploy options to reduce provide chain complexities and expedite time-to-market. This highlights the market’s altering scope and suggests a helpful tip for innovators coming into this house. He highlighted how with this method, maxon has enabled their purchasers to remain aggressive in a quickly evolving panorama.
Moderating a Deep Dive into Automation
Because the moderator, Mary Jane McCraven helped facilitate the dialogue, guiding the audio system by way of quite a lot of essential subjects and making certain that the viewers had the chance to dive deeper into methods and applied sciences impacting the business.
McCraven posed questions concerning the regulatory challenges suppliers face when growing healthcare robotics options, which led to a dialogue concerning the stringent ISO 13485 certification course of and maxon’s long-standing dedication to assembly regulatory requirements. She additionally highlighted how AI is remodeling the healthcare robotics panorama, prompting a dialog concerning the integration of AI into lab techniques, significantly for predictive upkeep and course of optimization.
McCraven’s questions helped illuminate not solely the technical facets of improvements but in addition the broader business developments shaping the way forward for lab automation. Her engagement ensured a well-rounded exploration of the intersection between robotics, automation, and healthcare.
Trying Forward: The Position of AI in Lab Automation
Walter additionally mentioned the rising function of synthetic intelligence (AI) in healthcare robotics. He famous that AI will play an more and more essential function in analyzing knowledge generated by automated lab techniques, serving to laboratories uncover new insights. He’s exploring using AI for predictive upkeep, the place motors act as sensors to detect potential points earlier than they result in tools failures, considerably lowering downtime and enhancing system reliability.
Conclusion
The webinar supplied a complete have a look at the state of lab automation, from the challenges confronted by trendy laboratories to the modern options being developed by firms reminiscent of maxon. As Walter, Beasley, and McCraven emphasised, the way forward for lab automation lies within the capability to ship tailor-made, exact options that meet the rising calls for for effectivity, scalability, and accuracy.
For extra insights and to look at the total webinar, go to the MassRobotics web site. Keep tuned for upcoming occasions in our Healthcare Robotics Webinar Sequence and proceed to discover how robotics is revolutionizing healthcare.
