A medium-sized medical diagnostics laboratory in southern Germany was faced with serious challenges. Particularly at peak times - for example after the daily deliveries from numerous doctors' surgeries and clinics - the volume of samples increased rapidly. Sometimes thousands of blood and tissue samples had to be quickly registered, processed and analyzed.
These peak loads increasingly pushed manual sample handling to its limits: Incoming tubes previously had to be individually removed from transport boxes by hand, the barcode scanned and the samples then sorted by analysis method. This involved several laboratory employees working in parallel, which led to waiting times and bottle necks. Time-consuming and labor-intensive processes like this led to inefficiencies.
The growing labor shortage accelerated the laboratory's decision to introducean automation solution.
Under all circumstances, laboratories need to avoid errors such as mixed-up or incompletely recorded samples. However, these were a threat to the company concerned, which clearly contradicts the high quality assurance and traceability requirements. Every sample must be fully documented and clearly assigned.
On the one hand, the laboratory management wanted to increase efficiency and throughput. It also wanted to be able to guarantee new and increasingly strict regulatory standards. Last but not least, the team needed to be relieved so that specialists could concentrate on more demanding tasks (e.g. validating results or processing special samples).
The laboratory's aim was to automate sample logistics as intelligently as possible in order to further reduce sources of error and ensure seamless quality monitoring.
The central question in the search for solutions was: How can a robot be easily and economically integratedinto the existing processes?
After careful consideration, the laboratory gradually introduced automation with industrial robots. Together with fruitcore robotics, a project team from the laboratory developed a solution based on a HORST robotic system that can be easily operated in accordance with the laboratory's hygiene and emission value specifications. Integration into the existing environment is also easy, as HORST has standardized interfaces and intuitive all-in-one software that allows users without robotics experience to control the system.
The connection to the laboratory information management system (LIMS) was also seamless. The robot and LIMS continuously exchange data via standardized protocols so that every sample step is fully recorded and reported back.
The most important automation steps and components are listed below:
1. sample registration and identification: the robot removes the delivered sample tubes from transport boxes and places them in front of a camera with a barcode reader to record the sample ID. At the same time, the robot software transmits the sample data to the LIMS so that each individual sample is digitally registered and assigned to the appropriate analysis order. The software checks parameters such as tube type and fill level. Irregularities lead to early rejection. In this way, it is much safer to detect any faulty samples than in the previous manual process.
2. sorting and distribution: Based on the LIMS data, the robot sorts the samples according to the required analysis. Using a pick-and-place process, it positions the tubes in prepared racks for haematology or immunology, for example. The robot's repeatability (±0.05 mm) enables a high level of precision - crucial for the reliable use of samples in centrifuges or other devices. Standardized processes minimize allocation errors and increase the accuracy of results.
4. IT integration and data management: The automation operating system from fruitcore robotics (horstOS) logs all of the robot's actions and reports them to the LIMS. In this way, all steps are fully documented and visualized in a dashboard. The laboratory management is able to track all processes completely and consistently and optimize them if necessary. It is also possible to analyze when the most samples arrive and how busy the robot is, allowing staff and resource planning to be controlled more precisely.
Following the introduction of the robot system, the laboratory recorded clearly measurable improvements. Turnaround times (TAT) fell considerably - especially during the previously critical peak times.
The laboratory from southern Germany quickly confirmed what it had already evaluated in several previous studies: depending on the analysis category - e.g. emergency or routine samples - serum sampling results are available 50 and up to 60 % faster.
The sample laboratory also reports a higher level of satisfaction on the client side. Among other things, emergency doctors at an affiliated hospital now receive urgent results much more quickly.
At the same time, the accuracy of the analyses has improved: thanks to standardized processes, the
risk of pre-analytical errors such as clot formation or faulty tube types has been reduced even further.
reduced even further. Even though the laboratory was already making sure that problematic samples were
samples are identified at an early stage: There is always a certain residual risk with human processing,
This can be avoided by using robots.
Another plus point is the reduction in workload for staff. Previously monotonous activities such as
such as barcode scanning, sample sorting or centrifuge loading took up a lot of time. Now the
robot takes over these routines, which noticeably relieves the team.
The laboratory specialists themselves can devote more time to tasks that require human expertise
expertise - for example, the assessment of abnormal results or the maintenance of complex analysis equipment.
As the most stressful phases have been reduced, employees report a better working environment. In addition, the risk of errors is further reduced because rested specialists can work more attentively and monitor the automation effectively.
It is clear that manual quality controls in laboratories - no matter how good they are - can be optimized with targeted automation. Thanks to standardized procedures and digital process monitoring, laboratories can now handle high sample volumes without compromising on quality.
Actual or potential sources of error have been noticeably reduced and resources have been used more efficiently. The combination of reliable hardware and smart, intuitive software also ensures end-to-end traceability.
A key success factor is the close collaboration between laboratory staff, IT specialists and fruitcore robotics as the robot manufacturer. This was the only way to develop a solution that was a perfect fit for the processes, premises and existing software. The HORST industrial robot proved to be a suitable system, as it is particularly easy to program and therefore makes it easier to get started with automation.
In conclusion, it remains to be said: The solutions shown are both practice-oriented and scalable. Hundreds of other laboratories in medicine, pharmacy, biotechnology or food analysis face similar quality requirements and throughput problems. The laboratory in this practical example shows that and how in-process analysis goes hand in hand with robotics.
It is foreseeable that the future of laboratory work will be hybrid - man and machine will form a team to
form a team to further advance quality assurance. This laboratory has already taken the step
This laboratory has already taken the plunge and laid a significant foundation stone for future-oriented laboratory practice.