First steps in robot automation of sampling and sample management during cultivation of mammalian cells in pilot scale

The robot automation of sampling and the subsequent treatment and storage o f aliquots during mammalian cell cultivations was investigated. The complet e setup, the development and testing of the sampling device, the robot arm, and the cell imaging system are described. The developed sampling device i s directly coupled to a pilot bioreactor. It allows the computerized steril e filling of cell broth into 50 mL sample tubes. After each sampling the wh ole tubing system is steam sterilized. For further off-line treatment a rob ot takes the sample to the different devices. This robot is equipped with a camera and a force/torque sensor. A color-based object recognition guides the arm in a complex surrounding with different illumination situations, en abling the robot to load the sampling device with tubes and take the sample to further devices. For necessary pipetting and refilling we developed a c omputerized device. Cells are automatically stained and counted using an im aging system. The cell number and viability is automatically saved in a pro cess control system together with the on-line parameters. During several cu ltivations in 20 and 100 L scale these main components of the automation st rategy were successfully tested.