Hello HamilFriends -
Our lab is currently experiencing a tip barcode mask crisis! We have several methods that utilize both 3.2 mm widebore and 1000uL HTF tips, and newer shipments have different barcodes from old ones. To complicate things further, some of our old widebore tips have the exact same barcode mask as our 1000uL tips. The result is that some of our runs are delayed while we hunt down the correct tip lot that our method has specified in the layout. Weve currently identified three different barcode masks for our widebore tips and 2 different masks for our 1000uL tips.
For clarification, which is the official mask for these tip types? And is there a way to programmatically allow multiple accepted masks in the layout while still rejecting incorrect tip types?
Are these all Core II tips?
Yeah, I believe so! All of our CORE-1 tips are typically labelled as such at least
I normally go to Hamilton site to get the barcode mask
https://www.hamiltoncompany.com/automated-liquid-handling/consumables/platform-consumables/coreii/wide-bore-co-re-tips
Thats a handy link! The bigger question is how to allow multiple acceptable barcode masks though…it would be preferable to allow either lot of tips to be run without throwing barcode mask issues
May not be most elegant solution. use custom error handling in load carrier to continue with mask error or remove default mask in labware definition. Then check return barcodes yourself and unload carrier if it is mismatch