Innovative IoT Solutions Revolutionize Pipette Tracking in the Laboratory

Delivering an accurate and reliable tracking system for precision pipettes in a lab environment requires three things: an automated solution so scientists aren’t spending valuable time searching for and manually scanning items; a network robust enough to manage tens of thousands of assets and digitally connect an entire site; and perhaps most importantly, a tracking device that does not get in the way of the work of scientists and lab technicians. Read more about how Avantor partnered with the Lab Operations team from a major pharmaceutical firm to solve these challenges.

The Proverbial Needle in the Haystack: Finding Precision Pipettes for Calibration in the Lab

Anyone who has worked in a lab environment understands the frustration of mislaid equipment. For one Avantor customer in the pharmaceuticals industry, locating pipettes for routine calibrations was causing significant workflow bottlenecks and delays.

Scientists, including Ph.D. level researchers, spent valuable time searching for pipettes instead of focusing on their experiments. The inefficiencies had a ripple effect on the entire lab's operations. This not only delayed critical research but also led to increased operational costs in cases where the procurement team would purchase new equipment to avoid further delays.

“Our job is leveraging technology to ensure that the scientist has what they want, where and when they need it,” said Tola Olorunnisola, SVP & GM for Advanced Laboratory Services in Avantor’s Lab Solutions Business. “How do we bring that resource closer to the scientists to provide them with the data and insights they need?”

Implementing a Reliable, Automated Tracking System with an IoT Solution

Selecting the right technology to track the missing pipettes involved extensive research and testing. Alex Joyner, Digital Lab Product Manager at Avantor, explained, "We looked at various technologies and found that typical approaches like RFID had limitations, especially with accuracy in the lab setting and the need for manual scanning. Our customer needed something more reliable and automated."

The Avantor team developed a robust IoT network enabled through a LoRaWAN platform, which can penetrate dense materials and provide accurate real-time location tracking without interfering with existing IT infrastructure. “Whether a pipette is buried in a storage closet or tucked inside a lab technician’s lab coat pocket, this technology will find and capture the asset,” Tola added.

Avantor's solution could reliably locate pipettes inside metal drawers, a capability many competing solutions couldn't achieve. Additionally, the system ran on an independent and scalable wireless network, alleviating security concerns from the pharmaceutical company’s IT teams.

The result? An end-to-end asset tracking system with real-time, sub-room-level location accuracy.

Finding a Tracking Device that Didn’t Interfere with Scientists’ Work

Developing the perfect asset tag to accompany the wireless network involved multiple designs and feedback from the Lab Operations team. Joyner recounted, "We put an asset tag on one pipette for testing, and the initial feedback was, 'I hate it. I'll never use it if it's on here because I can feel it. It's heavy.” Through this iterative process, Avantor’s engineers delivered the final product: Customized asset tracking tags with long battery life and a low-profile design, ensuring they did not interfere with the scientists' work.

The final verdict from one Lab Operations scientist? “I love it. I didn't even know it was there."

Putting it All Together

The next step was a pilot conducted at the pharmaceutical company’s labs, where 200 pipettes were tracked across six rooms for six months. The results were impressive: an 80% reduction in time to locate pipettes, 100% compliance with calibration schedules, and no quality investigations sparked during the pilot period. This marked a significant win for the team, as scientists could now focus on their work without the distraction of searching for missing pipettes. “Avantor gave us a creative way to solve our pipette tracking challenge and improve our workflows,” said one Lab Operations director.

Enabling Success at Avantor’s Bridgewater Innovation Center

Avantor’s Bridgewater Innovation Center played a key role in the success of this project. This state-of-the-art research and development facility enabled Avantor to test and refine its solutions before deployment. "The Bridgewater Innovation Center is an incredible resource because we can troubleshoot solutions before implementing a customer pilot,” Joyner emphasized. “It also allows customers and vendors to experience our technology in action, ensuring we fully address their pain points."

Learn more about Avantor’s wide range of digital solutions for the lab here.

Explore Avantor’s Bridgewater Innovation Center here.