A Robot That Works Like You Do Some people are naturally able to pipette with high precision. Some of the techniques they use are subtle or even subconscious, but they make a big difference. We studied the behavior of experienced technicians and replicated their “tricks” on the CAS-1200. Here are just a few: The CAS-1200 tracks the meniscus in each tube so it can pipette near the liquid surface. This minimizes “tip retention”, i.e. inaccuracies and waste due to reagent adhering to the tip. The tip will normally retract while dispensing. This further reduces tip retention artifacts by minimizing tip immersion and at the same time the possibility of overfilling due to volume displacement by the tip. An experienced technician knows to slow down when pipetting viscous liquids. The CAS-1200 slows the pipetting of any reagents flagged as viscous to a set speed. The software is smart about tip re-use; simply indicate the maximum number of times a tip may be re-used. The CAS-1200 complies, but knows to avoid the possibility of cross-contamination by never re-using a tip that has touched a well containing a different liquid. When re-using a tip, the CAS-1200 will first “pre-wet” it with a brief aspiration/dispense before first using it. This ensures the tip will deliver the same amount of reagent every time, including the first time! If both 200 µL and 50 µL tips are available, the CAS-1200 will automatically select the most suitable for minimizing tip usage and maximizing precision. There are a variety of smart mixing possibilities to choose from, such as pre-mixing a sample prior to pick-up and/or after dispensing it. The amount of mixing is also adjustable. The system makes numerous self-checks and delivers intelligent warnings to ensure operation is safe, convenient and trouble-free. It’s also adept at resuming normal operation after an interruption, such as after the hood is opened during a run.