Adjunct Automation to the Cellmate™ Cell Culture Robot

Abstract

The design and implementation of an automated tissue culture flask labeling, delivery, scraping, and retrieval system centered around the CellmateTm cell culture robot is presented. Three new custom subsystems named FlaskMaster, FlaskLabeler, and FlaskScraper were created and integrated into the Cellmate robotic system. Flask-Master is a centralized multi-axis robot with a surrounding enclosure that houses racks of stacked tissue culture flasks (size T-175). The FlaskMaster system interfaces externally with the Cellmate's conveyor system to deliver and retrieve flasks. FlaskLabeler is a print and apply system that labels flasks prior to transfer between FlaskMaster and the Cellmate. FlaskScraper is a scraping rod and blade assembly that was specifically designed for automated scraping of T-175 flasks. The combination of these systems allows for large-scale, unattended cell seeding and harvesting of cells from flasks. The addition of these new capabilities significantly reduces the manpower needed to operate the Cellmate. Moreover, these changes greatly improve the performance and capability of the stand-alone Cellmate system.