Thurow Kerstin, Gu Xiangyu, Göde Bernd, Roddelkopf Thomas, Fleischer Heidi, Stoll Norbert, Neubert Sebastian
Center for Life Science Automation (celisca), University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.
Institute of Automation, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.
SLAS Technol. 2021 Apr;26(2):232-235. doi: 10.1177/2472630320967620. Epub 2020 Nov 12.
The general trend of automation is currently increasing in life science laboratories. The samples to be examined show a high diversity in their structures and composition as well as the determination methods. Complex automation lines such as those used in classic industrial automation are not a suitable solution with respect to the required flexibility of the systems due to changing application requirements. Rather, full automation requires the connection of several different subsystems, including manual process steps by the laboratory staff. This requires suitable workflow management systems that enable the planning and execution of complex process steps. The integration of mobile robots for transportation tasks is currently an important development trend for realizing full automation in life science laboratories. The article "Workflow Management System for the Integration of Mobile Robots in Future Labs of Life Sciences" presents the development and application of a hierarchical workflow management system (HWMS) as a top-level process management and control system. This concept combines the typical hierarchical automation structure with novel approaches for the integration of transportation tasks with variable degrees of automation. The aim is to create a general-purpose workflow management system that can be used in different areas of the life sciences, regardless of the specific device components and applications used.
目前，自动化的总体趋势在生命科学实验室中不断增强。待检测的样本在其结构、组成以及检测方法方面呈现出高度的多样性。由于应用需求不断变化，对于系统所需的灵活性而言，经典工业自动化中使用的复杂自动化生产线并非合适的解决方案。相反，全自动化需要连接几个不同的子系统，包括实验室工作人员的手动操作步骤。这就需要合适的工作流管理系统，以实现复杂流程步骤的规划和执行。目前，集成移动机器人执行运输任务是实现生命科学实验室全自动化的一个重要发展趋势。《用于生命科学未来实验室中集成移动机器人的工作流管理系统》一文介绍了一种分层工作流管理系统（HWMS）作为顶层过程管理和控制系统的开发与应用。该概念将典型的分层自动化结构与用于集成不同自动化程度运输任务的新颖方法相结合。其目的是创建一个通用的工作流管理系统，可用于生命科学的不同领域，而无需考虑所使用的特定设备组件和应用。
