Evaluation of the Eppendorf epMotion® Pipetting Tools
Using the Artel MVS®
Abstract
The performance of the epMotion liquid handling system was comprehensively characterized using the third-party Artel® MVS®. Single-, four-, and eight channel pipetting tools were tested to determine accuracy and precision across multiple dispensing volumes at each tool’s range. Artel MVS results demonstrated that the instrument generated high accuracy and precision that exceeded Eppendorf’s product specifications. The combination of the Artel MVS and epMotion system validate that precise and accurate liquid handling can be achieved across diverse configurations and experimental setups.
Introduction
Accuracy and precision of automated liquid handlers are critical performance specifications for high quality laboratory workflows. Liquid handling processes in a workflow may range from nucleic acid extractions to next generation sequencing (NGS), and it is important to reduce instrument variability in these workflows. Evaluating the performance of automated liquid handlers provides a tangible way to control risk, ensuring accuracy and consistency even when working with minimal volumes. As laboratory work continues to evolve, the demand for flexible pipetting solutions grows. As plate formats change between assay setups in a workflow, the need for accurate and precise pipetting by liquid handling instruments becomes crucial for high-quality, reliable results. By understanding and optimizing the performance of liquid handling systems, laboratories can effectively eliminate this potential source of error, minimizing troubleshooting time and reducing the need for repeat testing.
A method for assessing instrument performance that is fast, easy, and reliable is crucial to the effort to reduce re-work through increased reliability of liquid handlers. Additionally, the liquid handling instrumentation must be able to achieve acceptable performance. The combination of the epMotion workstations and the Artel MVS achieves these goals.
The Eppendorf epMotion® 5073/5075 can be equipped with eleven pipetting tools covering a volume range of 0.2 μL–1,000 μL. To achieve the best performance, single channel pipetting tools with four volume ranges (0.2–10 μL, 1–50 μL, 20–300 μL and 40–1,000 μL) are used to meet the most rigorous requirements for accuracy and precision for routine liquid handling. Moreover, the pipetting tools are available in 4-channel and 8-channel formats. The 4-channel tool provides greater throughput than the single channel tool and enhances the versatility of the plate format for the user. These automatically exchangeable pipetting tools are compatible with the epMotion 5073/5075 systems, ensuring universal performance regardless of specific workstations.