PIRO Personal Pipetting Robot

Versatility

The PIRO Liquid Handling System provides a versatile pipetting platform with many options. A large variety of racks, plates, and tubes are available starting from 0.1 ml / 0.2 ml / 0.5 ml / 0.6 ml / 1.5 ml / 2.0 ml tubes to for example 5.0 ml / 7.5 ml / 15 ml / 50 ml tubes with a tube depth of up to 100 mm. Deep-well plates, reservoirs, and passive cooling blocks can also be utilized as well as unusual plate formats for various platforms like the Rotor-Gene, SmartCycler, Eco, LightCycler and others.

Plates and tubes can be selected from the PIRO^® database included in the software. The PIRO system can use 50 µl, 200 µl and 1'000 µl tips in order to be precise in low as well as in the higher volume pipetting range. The option of using 1'000 µl tips provides sample pipetting from primary tubes to up to 50 ml with a tube depth up to 100 mm.

Precision

The PIRO Liquid Handling System provides highest precision in the X-, Y- and Z-axis positions. This is due to the stepper motors implemented allowing for steps of 0.0065 mm enabling accurate pipetting for all plates and tubes handled by the PIRO.

Coefficient of variation (CV) :

• CV < 1% ; 6 - 180 μl
• CV < 5% ; 3 - 5 μl
• CV < 10% ; 1 - 2 μl

Reproducibility

The PIRO Liquid Handling System provides the basis for any setup. With the PIRO system, automation of any assay setup will guarantee reproducible results, including large numbers of repetitive assays, complicated setups including various mixes, several dilution series in the same run, or normalisations of DNA/RNA samples. Fewer repeats will be needed due to accurate pipetting and human errors can be excluded. What previously has been considered to be a luxury is becoming a necessity today.

Convenient software

The software of the PIRO is easy to program – no training of specialists is required. From simple liquid transfers to highly complex applications – regardless of what it is, it can be programmed within minutes.
The PIRO^® works with comprehensive data logging for all steps in each pipetting project. Any programming step as well as every movement will be recorded and presented in the pre-run report. After completion of the run, this comprehensive record is compiled in a post-run report which includes information about the samples, pipetted volumes, pipetting steps, and recorded exceptions like run interruptions by the user and much more. Results can be exported as various file formats including csv files to be utilized in downstream applications but also imported from CSV files allowing for PIRO^® run setups to be created outside the PIRO^® software.

Economy

The PIRO reuses tips where possible meaning when for example a liquid is utilized several times. It also has multi-dispensing functions implemented saving additional tips to be utilized. Less repeats have to be done due to potential pipetting errors or mixing up of samples. Only required standards created need to be utilized, resulting in fewer reactions to be done. As the liquid level sensing is working with pressure, clear tips can be utilized and no conductive tips are needed. This turns the PIRO in a cost saving instrument.

Safety

• The PIRO Liquid Handling System provides many features for a safe pipetting performance. The hood interlock sensors ensure the instrument pauses when opening the hood during a run. This prevents potential risks while working within the arms reach. Any manipulation will be recorded.

• The newly designed Liquid Level Sensing system uses non-conductive tips and ensures the presence or absence of liquid in a vessel. It also monitors the amount of liquid in each tube during all steps in real time in the protocol. This level sensing can detect as little as 5 µl in a 100 µl tube.

• The PIRO has a tip detection implemented making sure a tip is attached to the pipetting head. If no tip is presented in the tip rack, the pipetting head moves to the next position until it finds a tip to continue the run. A run will therefore not be interrupted.

• The PIRO system is set up to prevent any possible contamination risk. As the PIRO is designed for the use with molecular biology setup the tip handling follows strict defined rules to avoid any cross contamination. Every liquid aspiration is followed by an intake of an air cushion before the transport to the target vessel continues.

• An optionally available UV-light sterilization system provides effective decontamination between the runs. The robots arm is programmed to move during the decontamination process to ensure that UV-light reaches all areas on the deck. A HEPA-Filter is also an option of the PIRO providing positive pressure inside the hood. A PIRO can either be ordered with the HEPA filter or easily added later.