Precise DNA-Based Analysis for Pathogen Identification in Laboratory Medicine:
The team of Cube Dx gathered experience with various technologies and instruments for DNA microarray production for laboratory medicine. Cylindrical microarrays – hybcells – are the core product of the IVD company. Cube Dx’ hybcells are a tool for sensitive and specific DNA-based identification of more than 130 microorganisms causing bacterial and fungal infections. The technology offers a drastic reduction of time to diagnosis and treatment of critically ill patients.
Besides the precision and uniformity of the arrays, quality control is an essential process to ensure optimal product performance. GeSiM and Cube Dx cooperated to establish a custom-made solution for arraying hybcell microarrays and to ensure a 100% quality control using a head camera with special lighting.
The major challenges were:
- Implementation of Cube Dx’ hybbot (mount and rotator for the microarrays) into the software to enable precise rotation throughout the printing process,
- Finding and implementing a camera and lighting system that enables automated spot finding on the black, reflective hybcell surface, allowing a 100% quality control of the arrays and,
- Establishing a process facilitating a robust production process of approximately 700 hybcells with >350.000 spots in total per run.
To achieve these requirements, several soft- and hardware adaptations were made under constant exchange and feedback of GeSiM and Cube Dx.
Nano-Plotter NP2.1 with Cube Dx hybcells on the working tray
Article written by Cube Dx CEO Christoph Reschreiter.
Learn more about Cube Dx: https://www.cubedx.com/
