SLAS 2019 Americas Sample Management Symposium

Merck Discovery Sample Management leverages Brooks Sprint software and custom in-house software packages to enhance sample preparation workflows and improve downstream liquid handling efficiency and reliability.

With the scheduling functionality of Sprint and a custom automation platform collectively known as the "PrepCell", Discovery Sample Management automates many of the previously manual processes to prepare samples for downstream liquid handling. These processes include thawing samples from their -20C storage temperature to room temperature, centrifuging, stock volume verification, and reformatting into required well-maps.

Custom software from Brooks allows returning samples to be intercepted and redeployed prior to returning to frozen storage, increasing throughput, and eliminating unnecessary freeze-thaw cycles.

 Additionally, custom in-house software provides tools to compare tube volume verification results (from Brooks Tube Auditor device) with the recorded volume data from our Titian Mosaic Sample Management system, allowing users to identify potential pipetting errors and stock volume deviation errors before liquid handling. This process will improve the quality of plates delivered to our customers and provides remediation tool for inventory discrepancies.