Digital pipette

This repository contains CAD files and programs for Digital pipette: Open hardware for liquid transfer in self-driving laboratories

Demo Video

digital_pipette.mp4

Bill of materials

Item	Quantity	Description	Note
Linear actuator	1	Actuonix L16-100-63-6-R	https://www.actuonix.com/l16-100-63-6-r
DC 6V power supply	1	DC Linear Actuator Power Supply*	https://www.actuonix.com/dcpowersupply
Arduino	1	Arduino Uno Rev3**	https://store-usa.arduino.cc/products/arduino-uno-rev3
Syringe	1	NORM-JECT Luer Solo (10 mL)	https://us.vwr.com/store/product/4646293/norm-ject-luer-lock-sterile-syringes-air-tite-products
Short screws & nuts	3	M3 10 mm screws and M3 nuts were used
Long screw & nut	1	M3 20 mm screw and M3 nut were used

Basic electronic Parts to build a circuit (e.g. breadboard, cables, soldering iron, etc.) are not included in the list.

* Any other DC 6V power supply should work.

** Any other Arduino-compatible boards should work.

Electric circuit

Although it is not drawn explicitly, please make sure that the GND of Arduino and DC 6V power supply are connected.

Example setup

You can connect with Arduino, the linear actuator, and the 6V power using jumper wires and alligator cables. This setup works for development, but it is not recommended for production since cables get easily disconnected.

Soldering wires is recommended for production to make connections more stable. My example using a PCB prototyping board is shown below.

Build instruction

Step 1

Prepare items shown in the bill of materials. Print the platform, plunger holder and syringe cover with a 3D printer. The length of the linear actuator should be adjusted before building by using an Arduino and the provided code. A screwdriver and pliers are helpful to tighten screws.

Step 2

Connect the linear actuator and the plunger holder with a short screw and a nut.

step2.mp4

Step 3

Connect the linear actuator and the platform with plastic parts shipped with the actuator, screws (short and long), and nuts.

step3.mp4

Step 4

Connect the syringe plunger with the plunger holder. Fasten the syringe with the platform and the syringe cover.

step4.mp4

Step 5

Connect the linear actuator with the electric circuit.

Source code

src directory contains an example code to operate the digital pipette.

• pipette.ino is an example Arduino sketch
• controller.py is an example Python code to send commands from PC to the Arduino

Citation

If you find this useful in your research, please consider citing as below.

@article{yoshikawa2023digital,
  author = "Yoshikawa, Naruki and Darvish, Kourosh and Vakili, Mohammad Ghazi and Garg, Animesh and Aspuru-Guzik, Al{\'a}n",
  title = "Digital pipette: open hardware for liquid transfer in self-driving laboratories",
  journal = "Digital Discovery",
  year = "2023",
  volume = "2",
  issue = "6",
  pages = "1745-1751",
  publisher = "Royal Society of Chemistry",
  doi = "10.1039/D3DD00115F"
}

License

The pipette is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The source code is licensed under the MIT license.