CASE STUDY: DNA/RNA Analysis Automation
Industry: Biotechnology
The Situation
ACLARA Biosciences, a leading developer of genetic analysis, had developed a new assay miniaturization product to dramatically improve drug discovery. The assay's were so small, however, that applying the reagents could not longer be done with traditional methods.
The Challenge
Applying the proprietary reagents onto the plates in high volume required extending the state of the art in microfluidic filling machines. Due to the very small sample volumes, precise control was going to be required for both positional and fluidic tolerances. Contamination control and ease of use were additional critical factors in the system design.
The Solution
Owens Design worked closely with ACLARA to design the custom research and development tool, which automates the coating of the walls of ACLARA's 96-well pattern Plurex microfluidic card. The company engineered the complex mechanical and microfluidic systems for the machine and developed the machine's vision registration software. Owens Design also successfully integrated commercially available microfluidic technologies to purge, clean and refill the fluid dispense apparatus. The machine processes 10 labcards simultaneously with 10 different oligos in 45 minutes. At the heart of the system is a 4x4 array of Cartesian ceramic tips with 16 Lee valves used for depositing nanoliter drops onto the labcard products.
Additional Information
Case Studies
DNA/RNA Analysis Automation 
“Owens Design provided ACLARA with important engineering and manufacturing expertise to expedite the development of our Plurex Multiplexing System. We are pleased to have Owens Design as a partner.”
Dan Morrow, VP of OperationsACLARA BioSciences
