News from around the World of Laboratory Automation

Colby Group International, Inc. Helps Nikon and NeoPath Reach Agreement

Colby Group International, Inc. announced that it has successfully engineered an agreement between Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, and NeoPath, Inc., Redmond, Washington. Nikon is a leading manufacturer of semi-conductor manufacturing instrumentation, cameras, specialized lenses and microscopes. NeoPath has developed the AutoPap system, which is a medical device that integrates proprietary high-speed image processing computers, video imaging technology and sophisticated image interruption software to capture and analyze from a PAP smear slide. The US FDA granted PMA clearance to market the AutoPap QC system in September 1995. A Nikon and NeoPath complement themselves well. This deal could ultimately be worth hundreds of millions of dollars to both companies,@ said Dr. Hugh Marai, Chairman of Colby Group International, Inc. For further information contact Michael P. Birt, Ph.D., tel. [phone], fax [phone]; e-mail <[e-mail]>.

New Optical Encoder

CUI Stack, of Beaverton, OR, has released a new optical encoder that eliminates the need for coupling through the use of a magnetic drive system.

The new product, called the MEL-12, has no mechanical load, indicating a longer life for the encoder. Due to the lack of physical contact brought about by the non-coupling feature, the unit will experience none of the current wear from damaging friction, which destroys coupled units. The unit also contains a hermetic seal, which helps to protect the MEL-12's bearings and the grease they are encased in by eliminating the possibility of contamination completely. (Source: MT Today, May 13, 1996).

CyclePlate™-384 Thin Wall PCR Plates

CyclePlate-384 (patent pending) is the latest addition to the CyclePlate family of thin wall PCR plates from Robbins Scientific®. CyclePlate-384 is designed to quadruple sample processing without expensive new equipment or time consuming hardware changes. It is made from rigid, virgin polypropylene and has thin wall construction for fast cycle times.

Each well is divided into four 20μl compartments, and during thermal cycling, CyclePlate 384 is sealed with Robbins' CycleSeal™ plate sealer. The CyclePlate-384 fits all standard 96 sample thermal cyclers with “V” shaped wells such as the Perkin-Elmer 9600 and MJ Research PTC 100/200 96 V. Cycle Plate-384 is available nonsterile or radiation sterilized with each lot certified and tested free of Human DNA, Dnase/RNase, and PCR Inhibitors.

For more information, please contact Maria S. Lee, Marketing Communications Manager, Robbins Scientific Corporation, 814 San Aleso Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94086-1411. Tel. [phone]; Fax [phone].

Firefighting Robots to the Rescue

In its third year, the Firefighting Home Robot Contest drew more than 50 contestants worldwide. Entrants were required to program an autonomous robot to travel through a predetermined path in a maze, avoid obstacles, and seek out and extinguish a lit candle. Each robot was activated by a 3.5-KHz signal that emulates a sounding smoke detector.

ChromBot, this year's winner, came from a team of six senior robotics students at Central Connecticut State University. The designers programmed it with Basic52 and used an Intel 8052AH-based microcontroller to seek out and extinguish the candle. A Z80-based controller directed stepping drive motors for navigation. A flame-detector circuit used an infrared phototransistor as a sensor, and the extinguisher was made from a bicycle pump that contained a CO₂ cartridge. Most of the electronics parts used in the ChromBot are available from Alpha Products (Fairfield, CT). The ChromBot cost approximately $1000 to build, according to Robert Thompson, professor for the winning team.

Despite the performance of ChromBot, Thompson expresses concern regarding the use of robots in home fire prevention, however research continues on the exciting potential for using robots in this area in the future. (Source: Byte, July 1996).