Artel Highlights New Uses of the MVS to Improve Assay Performance

Westbrook, ME (March 6, 2012) – Artel, the worldwide leader in laboratory liquid handling quality assurance and performance verification, is introducing two new applications that use the Artel MVS® Multichannel Verification System to verify steps in the assay workflow that are critical to gaining reliable results.

One of the new applications employs the MVS to ensure complete mixing of solutions in microtiter plates, which is essential for assay effectiveness and repeatability, especially when assays require further dilutions of mixed samples. Liquids dispensed into microtiter plates are often assumed to have been mixed thoroughly through simple diffusion, multiple aspirate and dispense cycles with a liquid handler, or after a cursory shaking of the plate. The application note describing this work highlights how inefficient these methods can be. It also provides scientists with a methodology to measure and optimize the efficiency of their liquid mixing protocols to give them greater confidence in their assay results.

The other new application uses the MVS to provide a method to measure the effectiveness of plate washing steps. Failure to remove residual liquids from microtiter plates can lead to incorrect measurements and potentially lead to faulty and misinterpreted results. While existing methods to verify plate washer effectiveness are time consuming and tedious, the MVS application can be used to rapidly verify washer effectiveness to remove this source of assay error.

“Artel is dedicated to helping scientists trust their results and these new MVS applications can be used to optimize and verify the performance of a number of critical steps in the assay workflow,” said George Rodrigues, PhD, Senior Scientific Manager, Artel. “And, with our field services, technical support, and application notes, we will continue to guide laboratory professionals on how to gain advantage of the MVS technology for quality assurance across all their liquid handling operations.”

The MVS utilizes Artel’s proprietary Ratiometric Photometry™ technology to measure the accuracy and precision of any liquid handling device with up to 384 channels. The system is commonly used in drug discovery laboratories to improve screening efficiency as well as for assay development and manufacturing so laboratories can maintain compliance and data integrity.  With these new applications the MVS technology can help laboratories verify a greater range of liquid handling processes, and support their efforts to improve assay performance.


About Artel

Founded in 1982, Artel specializes in applying proprietary ratiometric photometry-based technology to solve liquid handling quality, productivity and compliance challenges for laboratories in a wide range of industries including pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, regulatory bodies, academia, clinical diagnostics, forensics, public health, food quality and safety and environmental testing.

Artel also provides a broad and fully customizable range of quality assurance support, training and consultation services including Liquid Handler Performance Verification services for automated laboratories, on-site Pipetting Technique Training and Quality Management Certification for pipette users and laboratory managers.