All over the world, researchers and scientists are developing new technologies and carrying out innovative and groundbreaking research. To back them up, it is essential that their labs are as efficient and effective as possible.
This includes the cleaning process, which is why Danish robotics company, Flow Robotics, has made their pipetting robot, flowbot® ONE, available with UV-C light.
UV-C light is ideal for disinfection purposes. In fact, it kills >99.99 percent of all viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms. It also breaks down free DNA amplicons that might linger in the air after pipetting DNA. The flowbot® ONE features two 48W UV-C light bulbs with a wavelength of around 256 nm which allows it to quickly disinfect its own work area after use or in between runs.
"Being able to automate the cleaning process will save lab professionals a lot of manual work but also give them cleaning reassurance. While it is perfectly possible to clean lab equipment with chemicals, using an alternative source such as UV-C light maximizes the cleaning results and lessens the risk of cross-contamination, enabling labs to work safely with sensitive samples," explains Kjetil Kræmer, CTO of Flow Robotics.
Disinfecting flowbot® ONE with UV-C light
For optimal cleaning, the pipette modules on flowbot® ONE will move around during the UV cycle to prevent shadows forming as UV light does not reflect well. For complete safety precautions, the light will turn off automatically if the door is opened during a cycle.
"The UV light feature in flowbot® ONE is designed to be as simple, effective, and safe as possible. It is important to us that flowbot® ONE remains a user-friendly turnkey solution - even with all the extra functions we add along the way," says CTO Kjetil Kræmer.
In line with its overall ambition of being the most flexible automation solution on the market, flowbot® ONE will also still be available without UV-C light - allowing labs to choose the solution that best fits their needs.
Source: https://flow-robotics.com/