Scientists and students from the Department of Computer Science of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering (FEE CTU) of CTU, in collaboration with the Faculty of Science of Charles University and the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC), are working on automation of COVID-19 Motor University Hospital sample testing. Algorithms currently being developed are designed to enable hospital pipetting robots to process samples quickly and safely, avoiding cross-contamination. The participation of Opentrons and Beckman Biomek 3000 robots will enable the use of newly developed test kits at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR (IOCB AS CR) and have a significant impact on the testing process. If successful, it will replace the work of laboratory technicians, who will have space to carry out other activities related to the fight against the coronavirus. The new software can be deployed over Easter.
The collaboration between scientists and hospitals is made possible by the ongoing CIIRC project, which supplies pipetting robots to Na Bulovce Hospital. The need for automation increased significantly during the crisis, so the University Hospital Motor also turned to the university for help. This time a group of researchers and students from FEE CTU participated. A graduate student in experimental plant biology from the Faculty of Science at Charles University with experience in the RNA extraction process joins the team and becomes a key link between the fields of robotics and biochemistry. Currently, the two teams at the hospital are communicating closely and sharing experiences to ensure that the robots are deployed seamlessly as soon as possible.
"To be put into operation, the system must pass rigorous tests. Not surprisingly, the responsibility here is huge. If a coronavirus test is falsely positive, we will quarantine the patient and his family. But if all goes well, the robot will It will bring great benefits to hospitals. They can work without interruption, without getting tired, without distractions and even without getting tired of their daily tasks. We believe that thanks to us, laboratory technicians will be able to work without interruption. Get other tasks done that aren't easily automated, or at least get a little rest. ” FEE CTU. says Petr Váňa, PhD student at the Department of Computer Science. Work has been underway on the project since its launch in late March.
The main purpose of this procedure is to minimize the risk of so-called cross-contamination. This is achieved by optimizing the movement of the robotic pipetting head so that other samples are not endangered by accidentally dropping one sample. Therefore, the pipette tip must not pass over samples other than the intended sample. This greatly reduces the risk of contamination from other samples, thereby reducing the risk of healthy people being misidentified as infected. IOCB AS CR, in collaboration with the Institute of Medical Microbiology of the Faculty of Medicine II of Charles University and the University Hospital of Motor, has developed an innovative test device for the isolation of viral RNA, making it possible to diagnose the COVID-19 disease, thus becoming key to the solution. In the Czech Republic, the number of tests coming from abroad is limited. Additionally, many manufacturers do not allow the use of non-corporate chemicals on their equipment, yet these chemicals are scarce.
Since the procedure is based on the fact that we can produce chemicals in sufficient quantities in the Czech Republic, the laboratory may be independent in cases where the manufacturer may not be able to provide commercial test kits. This project would not have been possible without such extensive multidisciplinary collaboration across several research centres. Adéla Přibylová from the Faculty of Science at Charles University commented: "The involvement of robotics in improving healthcare laboratory procedures proves that we can achieve goals faster and more efficiently than individuals from seemingly distant fields."
The software scientists and students are developing may find application in other labs and laboratory procedures in the future. While automation with pipetting robots is now common practice, deploying other robots can speed up and simplify the testing process. Additionally, the FEE CTU's optimized program can be programmed faster and can be used on older or cheaper types of robots, which will increase their reliability during testing. These robots are plentiful in the Czech Republic and their users can directly execute developed programs.
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