comPOUND meets AcoustiX™ tube –how proven technology
adapts to new tunes!
Paul Lomax, Product Manager, SPT Labtech, Hans Harlz, Brooks Life Sciences

introduction
In 2018, a collaboration between AstraZeneca,Brooks Life Sciences, Labcyte and Titian
resulted in the release of a new AcoustiX™ tube
(a Labcyte® Echo® Qualified Consumable). The
associated workflow was designed to streamline
the compound management process.
Whilst there are several advantages to thisapproach, its adoption requires a significant
capital investment due to the fact that mostlegacy sample tube storage and processing
equipment is not AcoustiX™ tube compatible.

SPT Labtech have supplied solutions forcompound® management for almost 2 decades,with a reputation for highly robust and reliable
systems centred around pneumatic sample
handling and transport.

Tubes are pneumatically transported in and outof the SPT Labtech comPOUND store, withbarcodes read during transport. Initially there
were concerns that the split barcode would be
difficult to read correctly and reliably, however,with some small adjustments to the barcode
reader, reliable imaging is achievable.
The comPOUND software team were able toaddress the split barcode issues and reconstruct
the data, as well as utilising the redundant code,
to ensure a robust approach to barcode scanningeven when part of the barcode is damaged.

2. retrieving tubes to the AcoustiX™
rack

The pneumatic transport of AcoustiX™ tubes incomPOUND, can be closely controlled anditerations of testing have continued to improve
the reliability and speed of tube retrieval to theintermediate rack. With further fine tuning it isanticipated that reliability and throughput
capabilities will match regular tube performance.

3. transfer to AcoustiX™ rack
Following retrieval from comPOUND, theintermediate rack is placed into the IntelliXcap 96
and the decapper tool lowered to engage withthe caps. Retracting the tools results in the tubes
being picked up.
Intermediaterack placed
into IntelliXcap 96 (left)
tool engages
with tube cap(right)

Until now, every 2D barcoded tube on the market
has featured a circular base and the rotational
orientation of a tube was unimportant to robotic
handling systems.
Rectangularbase ofAcoustiX™ tube(left) vs common
circular basetubes (right)

SPT Labtech’s comPOUND
storage system

The new AcoustiX™ tube presented SPT
Labtech with several technical challenges toovercome in order to provide compatibility with
their comPOUND.storage solution.
This poster outlines these challenges and theirprogress to date developing a working solution.

1. challenging features
Acoustic dispensing requires the direct coupling ofa transducer with the bottom of the tube through aliquid medium. In order for this to work, a
traditional 2D barcode in the centre of the tube
bottom is not possible because it would interferewith the integrity of the transducer coupling.
Acoustic transducer
in contact withwell/tube

A rectangular base enables a standard 2D barcode
to be split in half and duplicated to give 4 parts intotal, providing a repeat code and a greater ability
to read damaged codes.

With the introduction of a rectangular tube, acritical feature of acoustic technology tointroduce constructive interference and speed
up repeated droplet dispensing (reps), robotic
handlers now need to correctly rotate the tube
accurately to place it into a rack in one of two
possible orientations, 180 degrees apart. Failure
to do this correctly will result in the tube
‘crashing’ into the top of the rack.
Tubes placed
incorrectly into a rack
sit high and cannot
continue through theprocess

96 tubes lifted clear of intermediate rack (left)
Underside of AcoustiX™ tubes held in capper (right)

The intermediate rack is swapped for an
AcoustiX™ rack. Tubes are lowered slowly,
rotating on top of the rack until the correctorientation is achieved and they locate correctly.
Decapper tools are individually sprung which
aids the process. With all the tubes in place, thecapper pushes down to ensure tubes are lockedin the rack (it does this as standard in the normal
AcoustiX™ workflow), then decaps tubes. At thispoint, the original workflow resumes.

4. storing tubes
comPOUND’s pneumatic system is not able torotate tubes. Adding tube handling robotics tocircumvent the issue would add complexity andimpact reliability compromising its currently
proven approach.
Post retrieval tubes, however, need to be decapped which offers a solution to the problem.
Working in collaboration with Brooks LifeSciences, an approach using an intermediate reusable rack was investigated. This utilises theIntelliXcap 96 to transfer AcoustiX™ tubes froman intermediate rack to the AcoustiX™ rack,requiring only a minor deviation from the originalworkflow.

The base of an AcoustiX™
tube and its 4 section split
barcodeAcoustiX™ tubes can be transferred back into
comPOUND directly from the AcoustiX™ rack,
the caveat being that they need releasing fromthe lock position. Our future intention is todevelop a simple tool that could be used
manually or in an automated workcell to perform
this task.

5. next steps• Continued high throughput testing to ensure
reliable operation• High density storage tests to see if
comPOUND’s capacity can be increased from
100,000 to 200,000 AcoustiX™ tubes perstore• Test the intermediate rack approach in fully
automated approaches e.g. Labcyte access.

conclusion
Any device utilising this tube needs to be able tosuccessfully image the base of the tube andcorrectly re-construct the complete code from the 2parts.

AcoustiX™ rack top view (left), bottom view (right)

SPT Labtech expect to release a solution for
AcoustiX™ tubes within the next 3-6 months.
AcoustiX™
workflowThis solution will offer a lower entry point interms of cost and storage capacity and thepotential to utilise the wider benefits of thecomPOUND product range, including the ability
to interlink comPOUND units to expand capacity
and the remote delivery of samples.
Remote delivery of standard sample tubes
directly from storage into workcells is a reality
and should soon be possible for AcoustiX™
tubes.