A medical device company needed to automate manual lab processes for producing unique DNA calibration strands used in sequencing equipment. The program required a full journey from concept and prototyping through hardware, software, user interface design, supply chain development, verification testing, manufacturing, and after-market support. Ascential delivered a fully automated oligo synthesis system that improved throughput, reliability, and safety while reducing manual handling and human error. The system was designed to support full-scale production without compromising precision or quality in a high-volume manufacturing environment.
The accuracy of DNA sequencing depends on the quality and consistency of the calibration strands used to validate it. The client needed to transform a previously manual lab process into production equipment capable of creating unique strands of DNA for calibration of sequencing equipment.
The program required Ascential to reduce human error, improve speed, and maintain operational efficiency across a significant business line. The system also needed to scale to full production while preserving precision and quality at high volumes.
To support launch, the client needed a partner that could manage the full development path from concept development and prototyping through hardware, software, user interface design, verification testing, safety certification, manufacturing, after-market services, and current product engineering. Their goals were clear:
Design and develop production equipment to automate a previously manual workflow.
Scale production without compromising precision, repeatability, or DNA strand quality.
Integrate safety features, hazardous chemical handling, and ergonomic improvements for operators and service technicians.
Support the full journey from concept and prototyping through hardware, software, user interface design, and manufacturing.
Ascential built a fully automated oligo synthesis system powered by dual nested XYZ gantry robots in a compact architecture. The system combined high-speed, high-precision coordinated XYZ motion with distributed motion control through custom control boards and a CAN bus interface.
The automation architecture integrated robotic handling, including a pick-and-place robot that manages transport of multiple tube types at speeds up to 50 ips over 30″ of travel, and a pipettor robot that manages aspiration and dispense between reagent, patient sample, and output vials.
Ascential also integrated compact vortexing, automated de-capping, microfluidic handling and dispensing, hazardous chemical handling, and tube barcode printing into the processing workflow. These capabilities helped create an automated end-to-end system designed to reduce manual handoffs, improve safety, and support high-volume production.
To ensure long-term performance, Ascential selected compatible, durable materials and applied systems engineering and risk management to improve usability and ergonomics for operators and service technicians. Master controller software and embedded firmware were developed under ISO 13485 controls, using the client’s design procedures to support compliance with Class II IVD and IEC 61010 standards.
| Capability | What Ascential Built |
|---|---|
| Automation Architecture | Dual nested XYZ gantry robots in a compact form factor |
| Pick-and-Place Robotics | Transport of multiple tube types at speeds up to 50 ips over 30″ of travel |
| Pipetting Automation | Aspiration and dispense between reagent, patient sample, and output vials |
| Precision Motion Control | High-speed, high-precision XYZ coordinated motion |
| Microfluidic Handling | Microfluidic handling and dispensing for precise control |
| Processing Modules | Integrated compact vortexing and automated de-capping |
| Distributed Controls | Custom control boards through CAN bus interface |
| Barcode Printing | Tube barcode printing integrated into the patient sample workflow |
| Software & Firmware | Master controller software and embedded controller firmware developed under ISO 13485 controls |
| Safety & Compliance | Hazardous chemical handling, safety features, and design procedures aligned to Class II IVD and IEC 61010 |
| Lifecycle Support | Concept development, prototyping, verification testing, NPI, manufacturing, after-market services, and current product engineering |
Ascential transformed a manual lab process into a fully automated, high-volume production system for producing DNA strands used in sequencing equipment calibration. The solution reduced human error, improved operator safety, increased efficiency, and scaled the workflow to full production without compromising precision or quality.
Key outcomes included:
The accuracy of DNA sequencing depends on the quality and consistency of the calibration strands used to validate it. Moving that process from manual lab work to high-volume automated production required more than equipment design. It required integrated automation, precision motion control, microfluidic handling, software, safety systems, and compliance discipline working together in a single production platform.
Ascential’s ability to take the program from manual process to validated, compliant, high-volume automation while adopting the client’s own design procedures meant faster deployment, lower transfer risk, and a system built to perform for the long term.
Ascential helps medical and life sciences teams move from manual processes to scalable, production-ready automation without sacrificing precision, quality, or compliance.
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