2022/06/15
ID: 2530

Ready-to-install solutions for the lab-on-a-chip

Automation and engineering for in vitro diagnostics

In medical practices, mobile analytical devices featuring "lab-on-a-chip" technology enable fast testing to identify pathogens in the case of bacterial or viral diseases. In order to lighten the load of manufacturers of these devices for in vitro diagnostics, Festo offers ready-to-install automation solutions, including customer-specific engineering.

A range of suitable miniature cylinders, valves and sensors is available from Festo for bench-top units used to conduct medical analyses on postcard-sized cartridges (lab-on-a-chip). Even more important, however, are ready-to-install customised solutions, which Festo develops in collaborative engineering projects with customers.

 

Focus on core competencies

The ready-to-install solutions are compact, space-saving modules that have clear interfaces for easy integration and therefore offer reduced time to market for customers. Manufacturers and developers of such bench-top units can therefore concentrate on their core competencies. To automate the analysis processes on postcard-sized cartridges, they can rely on the many years of automation expertise of the engineers and developers at Festo.

 

In addition to channels and reservoirs for chemicals, the cartridges contain an area for applying a drop from a blood sample, for example. The analysis process starts when the cartridge is inserted into the device. Miniature cylinders use compressed air to activate the reservoirs with the chemicals. The membranes are pressed down on the cartridges, and the chemicals make their way through the channels at the right time (using capillary forces) to react with the blood. The analysis results are read out at the end of the multi-stage analysis process.

 

Complete automation portfolio

The miniature cylinders EG and EGZ provide the actuator technology for the smallest of spaces. The miniature valves VOVK, MHA1, VEMC and VEMP can control large numbers of tightly packed channels. Miniature sensors SPTE are used for pressure monitoring. The proportional-pressure regulators VEAB with piezo technology round off the automation portfolio from Festo for in vitro diagnostics.

费斯托 (Festo)是一家全球性的独立的家族企业,总部位于德国埃斯林根。自成立以来,Festo在工业自动化技术和技术教育方面制定标准,从而为环境、经济和社会的可持续发展做出贡献。公司为超过35个行业的30万家工厂和过程自动化客户提供气动和电驱动自动化技术解决方案,其中生命科学和实验室自动化业务受到越来越多的关注。Festo产品和服务遍布176个国家。2022年,费斯托在全球61个国家的250多个分支机构拥有约20800名员工,实现销售额38.1亿欧元。每年约7%的销售额用于研发。在这家学习型企业,1.5%的销售额用于基础和进一步培训。Festo 教学培训 (Didactic SE) 是全球领先的技术教育和培训供应商,为全球客户提供工业环境中全面的数字化和常规学习解决方案。

© Festo SE & Co. KG
Festo LifeTech
Mobile analytical devices allow fast testing to identify pathogens in the case of colds or flu-like infections as well as other bacterial or viral diseases.
© Festo SE & Co. KG
Valve block for the point-of-care application
Based on the layout of the microfluidic chip, Festo develops the appropriate valve block for the point-of-care application.
© Festo SE & Co. KG
Miniature valve VOVK
Compact components: The miniature valves VOVK activate the process which ensures that the liquid reagents react with each other and the analysis process starts.