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EP-4431947-B1 - A METHOD OF QUANTIFYING AND PRESENTING AN EXPERIMENTAL ERROR

EP4431947B1EP 4431947 B1EP4431947 B1EP 4431947B1EP-4431947-B1

Inventors

  • JANTUNEN, Hannes
  • VARHIMO, Emilia

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230315

Claims (15)

  1. A method for sample handling and/or analysis sequence comprising: - quantifying a total experimental error of a multi-step sample handling and/or analysis sequence comprising at least two steps, including quantifying respective individual experimental errors of said at least two steps; and - presenting an output value derived from said total experimental error by an output device, the output device comprising a display of a hand-held pipette, and the output value comprising a recommendation for guiding the user to reduce said quantified error in execution of the sample handling task in the current step or the forthcoming steps of the sample handling and/or analysis sequence; and reporting the output value to a laboratory device the use of which contributes to said error.
  2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said quantifying comprises any of the following: estimating the experimental error, measuring the experimental error, or retrieving a pre-determined value for the experimental error, or any combination thereof.
  3. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said quantifying comprises quantifying by means of an empirically trained algorithm, or calculating a sum, for example a weighted sum, of individual experimental errors, or quantizing the individual experimental errors.
  4. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the sample handling and/or analysis sequence comprises or consists of a liquid handling and/or analysis sequence.
  5. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein an experimental error in use of one or more of the following devices in the course of said sample handling and/or analysis sequence contributes to said total experimental error to be quantified and is taken into account: a hand-held pipette, a liquid handling robot, a scale, an air pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a spectrometer, a sample analysis device.
  6. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said output value comprises one or more of the following group: a parameter and an instruction, derived from any of said experimental errors and their combinations.
  7. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the recommendation for guiding a user to actions that are adapted to reduce: - experimental error in the current and/or any of the forthcoming steps of a sample handling procedure; and/or - total experimental error of an entire sample handling procedure.
  8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said actions comprise continuing the current procedure with adjusted parameters or adjusted equipment..
  9. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said output value comprises a recommendation to adjust a source of an individual experimental error, such as to adjust parameters related to said source, in order to reduce accumulation of the total experimental error, or said output value comprises a recommendation to use a particular liquid handling device and/or a particular tip in a liquid handling device during execution of the current step or a forthcoming step of said sample handling and/or analysis sequence.
  10. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said presenting comprises presenting one or more of the following by the output device: a chart, a graphical symbol, an alphanumeric symbol or any combination thereof.
  11. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said presenting comprises presenting a numerical uncertainty factor by the output device.
  12. The method according to any of the preceding claims, comprising: on the basis of the quantified experimental error, automatically locking or adjusting a function of a laboratory device the use of which device contributes to said error.
  13. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the quantified experimental error or the output value is reported to a laboratory device the use of which contributes to said error; and said output value comprises a parameter, which is a control command or a correction factor for the laboratory device to reduce said experimental error.
  14. A device comprising means for performing the method according to any of claims 1 to 13, comprising: - means for handling and/or analysing a sample comprising one or more sample handling devices; - a computing device configured to quantify said experimental errors, and - an output device comprising a display of a hand-held pipette configured to present said total experimental error and/or said output value.
  15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the means for handling and/or analysing a sample comprises a liquid handling device, and the output device comprises audio means or audio-visual means.

Description

FIELD The present application relates to quantifying errors in sample handling sequences, and particularly to quantifying and reducing errors accumulated in the course of multi-step sample handling sequences in a laboratory. BACKGROUND Sample preparation and their analysis in a laboratory typically involve multi-step protocols during which multiple laboratory devices are needed. Such protocols may necessitate accurate determination of for example sample weight, sample volume and sample composition. In liquid handling applications, typically several liquid handling devices for different liquid volumes and multiple dispensing steps are used in order to complete the desired application or workflow. Examples of such liquid handling applications include preparation of a dilution series and a multi-step kit. In addition to liquid handling steps also other handling and measuring methods, such as weighing, may be used in the same workflow. Such multi-step and multi-device workflows are susceptible to accumulation of experimental error, which may seriously affect the accuracy of the ultimate result of the workflow. For example, if in a 5-step liquid dispensing sequence each dispensing step involves an experimental error of 10%, the total amount of liquid dispensed after the five steps will be in the range 59% to 161% of the targeted amount 100%. It is known to reduce random and systematic experimental error in sample handling by calibrating the devices used and by striving to reduce any random variations in the sample handling procedure. US 2009/0000403 A1 discloses a hybrid manual-electronic pipette with improved functionality, such as an LCD for displaying an error message. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is defined by the features of the independent claims. Some specific embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. Various embodiments of the first aspect or the second aspect may comprise one or more features from the following bulleted list, wherein, in this list and throughout the rest of the description, those features that are required by the independent claims are not to be considered as optional: The method comprises, before or in said quantifying step, obtaining one or more of said experimental errors.Said obtaining comprises any of the following: estimating the experimental error, measuring the experimental error, or retrieving a pre-determined value for the experimental error, or any combination thereof.Said quantifying comprises quantifying by means of an empirically trained algorithm.Said quantifying comprises calculating a sum, for example a weighted sum, of individual experimental errors.Said quantifying comprises quantizing the individual experimental errors.The total experimental error takes into account at least two steps of a multi-step sample handling and/or analysis sequence comprising more than two steps.The sample handling and/or analysis sequence comprises or consists of a liquid handling and/or analysis sequence.Said sample handling and/or analysis sequence comprises one or more of the following steps: liquid handling, such as liquid aspiration, liquid dispensing and/or liquid pipetting, sample weighing, sample analysis, preferably at least liquid handling; and preferably a respective experimental error of said step is quantified.Said sample handling and/or analysis sequence comprises use of a laboratory device.Said laboratory device comprises a hand-held pipette, a liquid handling robot, a scale, an air pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a spectrometer, or a sample analysis device.An experimental error in use of one or more of the following devices in the course of said sample handling and/or analysis sequence contributes to said total experimental error to be quantified and is taken into account: a hand-held pipette, a liquid handling robot, a scale, an air pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a spectrometer, a sample analysis device.Experimental errors in use of at least two of the following devices in the course of said sample handling and/or analysis sequence contribute to said total experimental error to be quantified and are taken into account: a hand-held pipette, a liquid handling robot, a scale, an air pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a spectrometer, and a sample analysis device.Said quantifying takes into account one or more of the following experimental errors during the sample handling and/or analysis sequence: a pipetting error, a weighing error, a sample analysis error, and an error in a concentration of a chemical or biological compound.Said output value comprises one or more of the following group: a parameter, an instruction and a recommendation, derived from any of said experimental errors and their combinations.The output device comprises a display of a laboratory device used in the sample handling and/or analysis sequence.The output device comprises a display of a hand-held laboratory device.