01.09.2020: Bayerische Forschungsstiftung Funds Project to Automate COVID-19 Analysis

YASKAWA CSDA10F - Bildquelle: https://www.yaskawa.de

In order to contain the outbreak the comprehensive diagnosis of infections is crucial in pandemics in general and in the COVID-19 pandemic in particular. A decisive contribution to better recording of COVID-19 infections is therefore the increased use of diagnostic tests. However, sample preparation is currently associated with considerable personnel effort and represents a bottleneck in the entire process. In addition, the handling bears the risk of infection for the personnel and is sometimes associated with quality fluctuations.

The Bayerische Forschungsstiftung supports the automation of COVID-19 pre- and post-analysis within the one-year project FlexACO.The consortium consisting of the chair FAPS, infoteam Software AG and Yaskawa Europe GmbH enables an ambidextrous robot for the handling of samples and interaction with the environment. The capabilities of the robot are coordinated via suitable software interfaces and documented by a laboratory and information management system. As an associated partner, the Institute for Transfusion Medicine of the UK Erlangen is available to the consortium for the definition of the requirements and the later application in the laboratory.

 

Contact:

Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Reitelshöfer

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Institute for Factory Automation and Production Systems (FAPS, Prof. Franke)