Labware Object Manager

Overview#

The Labware Object Manager is used to define labware object types for the system. Instruments and robots often need information on labware, such as plate width, length, and height so that the labware can be handled correctly. The Object Type Manager supports microtiter plate, rack and tube definitions together with data inheritance where required to allow trees of labware types to be created. The primary view of the Object Type Manager is shown in the following screen shot.

The screen shot shows a list of plate definitions. Note how there are four plate definitions that are indented from the rest (1536 Greiner black, 1536 Greiner white, 384 Falcon black clear bottom and 384 Falcon white clear bottom). These plate types inherit from a base type to avoid repeated definitions of identical data. Note how in the list of parameters for the child labware types only the parameters that override the base type are listed, in the example above this is the ColorName parameter which defines the color of the plate type. Object types are edited by a dialog as shown in the following screen shot.

This screen shot shows the type “1536 Greiner”. As can be seen this type is a base type since it does not extend from another type. The following screen shot shows the editor dialog for the type “1536 Greiner black” which extends from “1536 Greiner”. Note in the following screen shot how the user can select what parameters to inherit from the base type and what parameters to override using the check boxes along side the parameter values. Note how the ColorName parameter is overridden.

Object Group Manager#

The Object Group Manager allows labware to be grouped together in a named group. Schedules can then be run to target a particular object group. For example, a group of plates can be created by importing a CSV file of barcodes into an object group. Revolution will then keep a record in the database of these plates in the given object group. Schedules can then be run against this object group. Object groups offer a convenient way of managing plates or other labware over multiple schedule runs. Additionally, object groups can be created in a number of ways as follows:

Manually by entering object barcodes that are already known to Revolution.

• By importing from a file containing a list of object barcodes. ( note that object groups can also be exported back to files if required)
• Dynamically during a schedule run. A schedule can automatically add an object to an object group so that the group can be built as a schedule runs. (for example, as a plate is completed on a schedule it can be added to an object group which can then become the source object group for subsequent schedule runs)

The following screen shot shows an example view of an object group with a number of member plates.