Dear all,
Does anybody by chance know if there’s a command to make the FCA channels spread out and dispense into multiple plates at the same time? I’d like to place multiple 6 well plates on the same segment. The FCA can physically spread its channels far enough do reach four plates simultaneously, but I can’t seem to find a way to make it do that. In a worklist it just goes labware by labware.
Any input is much appreciated.
Thanks already
This might be a job for a custom super-labware. You may be able to create a custom segment with a single nest, and a single labware that fits on that nest that is in reality 6-plates spread across the entire segment.
Other than that, I’m blanking on how to trick your fluent into using sequence-style pipetting like Hamilton uses. It seems like there has to be a perfect coordination in the pipetting commands and labware to trick pathfinding into utilizing raster width for optimal pipetting across multiple plates.
If nobody else has suggestions, I’ll pick up my VM this afternoon and see if I can find something to help.
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I was afraid this is what it comes to 
I think I’ll just take the tuberack segment, and make a modified version where my wells correspond to tubes. Maybe that works. Or maybe it doesn’t. My team is happy with it doing 2 wells at the time which it does already, anything extra is bonus.
So, please don’t exert yourself if it’s not an easy fix.
I agree with @evwolfson , I can’t think of another way to program it outside of the workaround he/she provided. I would be a bit worry too, as I’m not sure how robust the individual FCA channels would be against backforce should one tip have a collision, especially when they are spread so far apart.
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Found it.
Apparently you can teach the first well and the last well outside of the dimensions of the plate. Atleast that’s how I understand his LinkedIn post.
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Well that’s certainly one way to do it!
It works with two plates now, four plates are actually not possible because the FCA has a safety range for the spread that prevents it from reaching the full span that would technically be possible. I.e. if you spread it manually in Zero G it fits perfectly but the software refuses to spread the channels that much (it can however narrow the spread). 3 Plates and 6 channels simply wont align. At least for my machine.
Many thanks to everyone and shout out to @HarenArul’s very helpful hack!
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Well don’t leave us hanging! Show us a video! grabs popcorn 
Try to create a super labware.
There is probably a way to create a labware that is slightly modified to fit within the range of the Y-spread but just barely.
I need it to streak out bacterial cultures, so sadly it has to be very neatly centered 
I don’t think I can find a better way to share one right now on mobile
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That’s so cool, is that a liquid class you created?
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Yes, it works surprisingly well. Depending on the pattern you can streak out pretty evenly or with varying density. The first height check pierces the agar a bit, but after that it actually finds the liquid on top, so with surface tension you can move it across the plate.
Interesting, is it all in the micro script or just a dispense with arm movement?
Wow you actually got this to work with CLLD? That’s impressive
I used a microscript. I’m not sure whether this is the most robust or elegant way to do it but it works for me so far
CLLD seems to recognize agar better than most liquids, I feel. With the wide wells you can also see very well how it behaves when it hits agar, cell suspension or a bubble and adjust accordingly. It’s easier than one would think, really.
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