Sartorius specialises in biotechnology equipment and software, manufacturing various research instruments and software used in laboratory settings. The electronic pipettes of the global company are manufactured in Finland. Sartorius and Nitor collaborated to develop an application that controls electronic pipettes and facilitates the work of laboratory technicians with automated workflow management. The project combines software development with traditional hardware manufacturing and is one of the first such development programs in a tightly regulated operating environment.
Sartorius pioneers a new direction for laboratory work with a mobile-controlled electronic pipette
In brief
Customer
Sartorius
Challenge: Sartorius aimed to modernise laboratory practices, enhancing traceability and clarity of operations. Additionally, they wanted to strengthen their software development expertise, laying a strong foundation for future development programs.
Results: The mobile application developed for controlling the Picus 2 pipette addresses challenges associated with traditional laboratory procedures. The application automates workflows, minimises errors, and accelerates task completion.
Benefits: The mobile application provides laboratory technicians and researchers with an efficient tool for their daily work. Minimising errors, increasing speed, and enhancing traceability are key benefits that improve laboratory operations and elevate the reliability of work to a new level.
Specialising in biotech laboratory equipment, Sartorius wanted to renew laboratory operations. They developed a unique mobile-controlled electronic pipette that professionals can learn to use in just a minute. Combining hardware and software development, this electronic pipette and its mobile application, manufactured in Finland, set a new direction in a highly regulated industry. The new product enables significant benefits in the reliability and speed of laboratory tasks in, for example, drug discovery, sample preparation and cell biology.
Efficiency and Precision with a Mobile Application
The mobile application developed for controlling the electronic Picus 2 pipette is designed to facilitate the daily work of laboratory technicians and researchers. Developed in collaboration between Sartorius and Nitor, the application streamlines work at every stage: it defines the laboratory technician's workflow steps based on given parameters and then sends them via Bluetooth connection to the Picus 2 pipette. As the work progresses, the mobile application guides the user through each subsequent step, automatically adjusting the pipette settings according to each stage. The application also records completed tasks, ensuring easy and reliable traceability of work, while also meeting requirements related to standardisation.
Defining new types of workflows and reviewing already performed workflows is also possible to perform using a browser based web application. The end user logs into the service in all channels using their Sartorius ID. The created workflows are stored into a secure cloud service and are immediately available for use also in the mobile application.
End users have appreciated the software's ability to automatically define lengthy workflows, whereas previously, laboratory technicians had to define them manually. It was crucial that the application could respond to users' needs and generate correct workflows reliably with just a few parameter settings - the user saves significant time when routine tasks are automated.
In research and pharmaceutical manufacturing, minimising errors is one of the most critical aspects to manage. The laboratory technician needs to know exactly where they are in the pipetting process to ensure that the work progresses in the correct order, with the correct amounts, and yields reliable results. Laboratory workflows can be quite extensive, comprising hundreds of different steps. The mobile application ensures that all stages of even the longest workflows are performed precisely according to instructions, reducing potential errors in manual work.
The mobile application also enhances the speed and reliability of liquid handling tasks: it automatically adjusts the parameters of the pipette according to each step of the workflow. When there is no need to adjust the pipette manually, the laboratory worker saves time and avoids errors. Additionally, the application optimises the use of reagents, ensuring that optimal amount of work can be accomplished with the available amounts of substances.
Especially in pharmaceutical production, reliable workflow monitoring and process traceability are essential. Traditionally, documenting pipetting procedures has been time-consuming, typically done using either an Excel spreadsheet or pen and paper.
Throughout the process, laboratory technicians must record each step in the workflow and ensure the correct progression of the multi-step pipetting process. Now, the mobile application automates this task.
Modern technologies, high quality standards
Although the pipette and the associated application are not officially classified as medical devices, all operations comply with the ISO 13485 standard for medical devices. The standard sets strict requirements for process monitoring, documentation, and traceability. The application and backend services were built using widely adopted technologies and cloud services, enabling efficient and high-quality performance.
The mobile application was built using TypeScript/JavaScript and React Native technologies, and Azure cloud services related to workflow management were developed using the Clojure programming language. The mobile application functions on both Android and iOS devices. The use of modern technologies makes programming work very efficient, allowing a small team to achieve a lot.
Working with Nitor has truly felt like standing on the shoulders of giants. They foster a strong culture of sharing and learning from one another, enabling team members to propose innovative solutions tailored precisely to our needs.
- Robert Brotherus, Lead Software Engineer, Sartorius
Involving end users in the development work ensures ease of use for the application
The industry in which Sartorius operates has long held the belief that companies manufacturing products have the best insight into the requirements of those products. As a result, end users have traditionally not been extensively involved in the development process.
However, Sartorius aimed to develop an application that was not only technically efficient but also as user-friendly as possible. The goal was for any laboratory professional to be able to learn to use the mobile-controlled pipette in just a minute.
To achieve this ambitious goal, Sartorius continuously engaged customers and end users in the development of the mobile application. Based on feedback, numerous changes were made before the application's release. After the release, the usability of the software has been further enhanced based on received feedback.
In addition to industrial customers using the pipette, Sartorius also collected feedback from university researchers and students, who shared their thoughts on the application in quite a detailed manner. The feedback provided Sartorius with valuable insights for optimising the user experience of the application, making it more user-friendly and accessible to end users. The collection of user feedback and development is continuous, and through the mobile application, anyone can provide feedback and suggestions for improvements.
Pioneering Development Project Secured its Place in Sartorius's Strategy
The development project has been successful, and the new product has received a positive response among the end users. The project has become a trailblazer in combining hardware manufacturing and software development within Sartorius. With the project's success, the importance of connected products has been emphasised in Sartorius's strategy, making the development of these products one of the focal areas for the future.
"We have been extremely satisfied with Nitor's contribution to our development project. Nitorians have truly been part of our team, and step by step, we reached a point where we could assign them any task. I appreciate the initiative of the team members in bringing forward their own ideas and improvement suggestions, which have enabled us to quickly build a successful software solution in a challenging and regulated operating environment."
- Robert Brotherus, Sartorius
