A Kalorama Information study titled “Robotic Lab Automation” found that that the amount of labs utilizing robots is increasing, but they were not replacing everything. Without robots, the study found labs are unable to keep up with losses of experienced technicians or the pace and complexity of newer tests.
Kalorama Information focuses on independent medical market research in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, biotech, diagnostics, and a range of custom research services. The company is a division of MarketResearch.com, which offers market intelligence services and products.
“Total lab automation may be appropriate for large-size laboratories, it is not suited for smaller laboratories,” commented the study’s author, Joe Constance. “It can lead to an increase in the total cost of automation. Moreover, it gives many laboratories little option for future planning, especially if it turns out they do not need to have extensively automated.”
The machines have several uses in laboratory processes, from simple tasks like capping and uncapping sample bottles to complex, high throughput screening. Most of the emphasis is on automation by modular robots, which are especially important for expediting workflow to keep up with rising numbers of tests.
