HardwareXPub Date : 2024-09-02DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00571
Jens Duru , Benedikt Maurer , Tobias Ruff , Katarina Vulić , Julian Hengsteler , Sophie Girardin , János Vörös , Stephan J. Ihle
{"title":"A modular and flexible open source cell incubator system for mobile and stationary use","authors":"Jens Duru , Benedikt Maurer , Tobias Ruff , Katarina Vulić , Julian Hengsteler , Sophie Girardin , János Vörös , Stephan J. Ihle","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00571","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00571","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Culturing living cells <em>in vitro</em> requires the maintenance of physiological conditions for extended periods of time. Here, we introduce a versatile and affordable incubation system, addressing the limitations of traditional incubation systems. Conventionally, stationary cell incubators maintain constant temperature and gas levels for <em>in vitro</em> cell culturing. Combining such incubators with additional lab equipment proves challenging. The presented platform offers modularity and adaptability, enabling customization to diverse experimental needs. The system includes a main unit with a user-friendly interface as well as an interchangeable incubation chamber. We present two incubation chambers targeting two completely different use cases. The first chamber, named “inkugo” facilitates the transportation of cells for up to two hours without external power and for more than a day without an external CO<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span> source. The second chamber termed “inkubox” was designed to enable continuous electrophysiological recordings. Recordings from up to four neural cultures growing on high-density microelectrode arrays can be performed in parallel. The system’s unique feature lies in its separability of control and incubation components, allowing one control unit to manage various custom chambers. The design’s simplicity and the use of widely accessible components make the here proposed incubation system replicable for any laboratory. This platform fosters collaboration and experimentation in both decentralized and traditional laboratory settings, making it an invaluable addition to any cell culturing pipeline.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468067224000658/pdfft?md5=c3f19fff44793f5d31353c6dd5141fbf&pid=1-s2.0-S2468067224000658-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142242415","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HardwareXPub Date : 2024-09-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00576
Jason D. Limberis, John Z. Metcalfe
{"title":"Turbolysis: A low-cost, small footprint alternative to commercial bead beaters for cell lysis","authors":"Jason D. Limberis, John Z. Metcalfe","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00576","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00576","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>turboLysis is a novel mechanical cell lysis device that utilizes small beads to efficiently lyse tough cells like Mycobacterium, Saccharomyces, and Arabidopsis. We compared turboLysis to bead beating using the BeadBug 6 for several concentrations of <em>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</em> roughly correlated to the bacterial load commonly seen in patient samples. turboLysis performed similarly to the BeadBug at low bacterial concentrations and outperformed it at high concentrations above 2x10<sup>5</sup> CFU/ml (p < 0.005). Thus, turboLysis offers good cell lytic performance in a small form factor at a low cost.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468067224000701/pdfft?md5=58dd006a5b08e66669a48415bc23edc6&pid=1-s2.0-S2468067224000701-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142095581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HardwareXPub Date : 2024-09-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00568
Jorge Otero , Miguel A. Rodríguez-Lázaro , Arturo Martínez-Trejo , Daniel Mbanze , Gorka Solana , Andrea Vergara , Salvador Bosch , David Gozal , Jordi Vila , Ramon Farré
{"title":"Robust and low-cost open-source device for detecting infectious microorganisms by loop-mediated isothermal amplification","authors":"Jorge Otero , Miguel A. Rodríguez-Lázaro , Arturo Martínez-Trejo , Daniel Mbanze , Gorka Solana , Andrea Vergara , Salvador Bosch , David Gozal , Jordi Vila , Ramon Farré","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00568","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00568","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) is a useful technique for detecting infectious microorganisms in human fluids since it performs similarly to conventional PCR, the results are obtained faster and no thermocyclers or complex devices are required. Since only two isothermal blocks (95 °C to lyse cells and 65 °C for DNA amplification) are needed, LAMP is particularly suited for applications in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). To validate such assumption, we first designed and tested Arduino-controlled LAMP thermoblocks to process a considerable number of samples simultaneously with a low-energy consumption to enable routine use under worst-case conditions (no main power source and low ambient temperatures).<!--> <!-->The thermoblocks were tested when battery-powered at temperature down to 5 °C, showing high stability in well temperatures (<0.8 °C). The charge required for both thermoblocks to simultaneously achieve the target temperatures after switching on and to keep their working temperatures were 4.1 A·h and 2.4 A·h/h, respectively. Second, we implemented a low-cost viewer with LEDs and filters to detect the fluorescent LAMP reaction. All the components required for the instrument are for general purpose and readily available by e-commerce. Thus, the LAMP device allows for considerable autonomy by using a typical car battery in rural and itinerant healthcare or field hospitals in LMICs, even under difficult environmental conditions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468067224000622/pdfft?md5=f80c4379d2ef4cff02a8017afa0a35a6&pid=1-s2.0-S2468067224000622-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142149833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HardwareXPub Date : 2024-09-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00581
Leon F. Richter , Wolfgang R.E. Büchele , Alexander Imhof, Fritz E. Kühn
{"title":"MULA, an affordable framework for multifunctional liquid automation in natural- and life sciences with a focus on hardware design, setup, modularity and validation","authors":"Leon F. Richter , Wolfgang R.E. Büchele , Alexander Imhof, Fritz E. Kühn","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00581","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00581","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The implementation of automation has already had a considerable impact on chemical and pharmaceutical industrial laboratories. However, academic laboratories have often been more reluctant to adopt such technology due to the high cost of commercial liquid handling systems, although, in many instances, there would be a huge potential to automate repetitive tasks, resulting in elevated productivity. We present here a detailed description of the setup, validation, and utilization of a multifunctional liquid automation (MULA) system that can be used to automate various chemical and biological tasks. Considering that such a setup must be highly customizable, we also designed MULA with respect to modularity, providing detailed insight as far as possible. Including all 3D-printed parts and the used Hamilton gastight micro syringe, the total construction cost is approximately 700 €. This allows us to achieve a highly reliable and accurate system that exceeds the precision of a classical air displacement pipette while still retaining the ability to use closed vial (septa) setups. To encourage other groups to adopt this setup, detailed instructions and tips for every step of the process are provided, along with the complete CAD design of MULA and control code, which are freely available for download under the CC BY NC 3.0 license.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468067224000750/pdfft?md5=6392b230b5dd44d0914a46c33aa6c3f0&pid=1-s2.0-S2468067224000750-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142242414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HardwareXPub Date : 2024-09-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00573
Charles Sutherland , Alan D. Henderson , Dean R. Giosio , Andrew J. Trotter , Greg G. Smith
{"title":"Synchronising an IMX219 image sensor and AS7265x spectral sensor to make a novel low-cost spectral camera","authors":"Charles Sutherland , Alan D. Henderson , Dean R. Giosio , Andrew J. Trotter , Greg G. Smith","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00573","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00573","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A low-cost novel spectral camera able to be used for near infrared spectroscopy was made by using a Jetson Nano to synchronize a Sony IMX219 NOIR autofocus image sensor, an AMS AS7265x 18-channel spectral sensor and Osram SFH 4737 broadband infrared LED’s. Synchronizing an image sensor and spectral sensor augments a standard RGB image with light spectrum information; capturing the light distribution information normally lost in RGB image capture. Sutherland et al. [1] used this novel spectral camera to examine the dorsal surface of juvenile lobsters as a possible pre-moult detector. Having the image and spectrum in combination allowed the incomplete and unmineralized post-moult dorsal surface to be characterized with 86.7% accuracy for the first time. A proposed application for the spectral camera is to omit the local SFH 4737 light source and use the camera in daylight, effectively making a low-cost substitute hyperspectral snapshot camera. In this configuration the camera may have application for low-cost drone deployment for small scale agriculture.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468067224000671/pdfft?md5=1dcffea6e1fdc274013a521b3e03a13e&pid=1-s2.0-S2468067224000671-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142117682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HardwareXPub Date : 2024-09-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00574
Martin Lippmann, Moritz Hitzemann, Jonas Winkelholz, David Bailey, Stefan Zimmermann
{"title":"A modular, isolated high-voltage switch for application in ion mobility spectrometry","authors":"Martin Lippmann, Moritz Hitzemann, Jonas Winkelholz, David Bailey, Stefan Zimmermann","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00574","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00574","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Ion mobility spectrometry is an emerging technology in trace gas analysis that has moved from typical safety and security applications to many other fields ranging from environmental and food quality monitoring to medicine and life sciences. Nevertheless, further dissemination, including the development of new instruments and the expansion into new fields of application requires the availability of the fundamental components of ion mobility spectrometers. For example, the electronics is essential for the analytical performance, but is only provided by specialized manufacturers due to specific requirements. In this paper, we present a modular, isolated high-voltage switch that can be operated at an isolated potential. The modular design enables tailoring its configuration to the required application. Each module can switch a voltage of up to 3 kV, and can be operated with an offset voltage of up to 7 kV. The switch has rise and fall times of less than 25 ns, making it suitable for a wide range of applications, e.g., in ion mobility spectrometry. Finally, the presented modular, isolated high-voltage switch was used in a push–pull configuration to generate the injection pulse of the ion gate. The new modular, isolated high-voltage switch shows similar performance compared to a commercially available high-voltage switch.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468067224000683/pdfft?md5=c0b7647745783914fcf83f5f4a8efb0d&pid=1-s2.0-S2468067224000683-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142149831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HardwareXPub Date : 2024-09-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00578
L.F. Granados-Zambrano , J.P. Korterik , J.M. Estudillo-Ayala , R. Rojas Laguna , D. Jauregui-Vazquez , H.L. Offerhaus , J.A. Alvarez-Chavez
{"title":"Plasma-based optical fiber tapering rig","authors":"L.F. Granados-Zambrano , J.P. Korterik , J.M. Estudillo-Ayala , R. Rojas Laguna , D. Jauregui-Vazquez , H.L. Offerhaus , J.A. Alvarez-Chavez","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00578","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00578","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Optical fiber tapers have been widely proposed and demonstrated as reliable optical fiber structures for sensing, lasers, and supercontinuum generation applications. This paper proposes an innovative approach to fabricating optical fiber tapers using plasma as the heat source. From our literature review, and to the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that plasma has been used as the heat source for producing optical fiber tapers. The system is not intricate and simple to replicate. Moreover, the elements involved make this machine attractive to research groups devoted to optical fibers. The setup consistently generates robust biconical optical fiber tapers. A typical waist of ∼8 μm and taper lengths ranging from 3 to 15 mm are achieved. Our results showed tapers with interference fringes up to 12 dB, from 1465 nm to 1599 nm. Furthermore, the statistical evaluation presented demonstrates a good level of reproducibility in our tapering process.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468067224000725/pdfft?md5=a702d507f37ac87f9313171c9429b7f7&pid=1-s2.0-S2468067224000725-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142129948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HardwareXPub Date : 2024-09-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00575
Anggie P. Echeverry , Carlos F. López
{"title":"AUTORECYCLER: Prototype based on artificial vision to automate the material classification process (Plastic, Glass, Cardboard and Metal)","authors":"Anggie P. Echeverry , Carlos F. López","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00575","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00575","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Environmental protection has gained greater importance over time due to the negative impact and irreversible consequences that have occurred worldwide and stem from pollution. One of the great challenges faced in different parts of the world is the inadequate management and classification of solid waste. In order to contribute to tackling this issue, this paper proposes an automated sorting system based on artificial vision which allows recognition and separation of recyclable materials (Plastic, Glass, Cardboard and Metal) through a webcam connected in real time to the Nvidia® Jetson Nano™ 2 GB programming board, which has a convolutional neural network (CNN) trained for the proper classification of waste. The system had a 95 % accuracy in separating plastic, 96 % in glass and metal, and 94 % in cardboard. With this in mind, we conclude it contributes to the recycling effort, which has an impact on the reduction of environmental pollution worldwide.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468067224000695/pdfft?md5=4afa327ad0be22153064f4735719a2d9&pid=1-s2.0-S2468067224000695-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142149832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HardwareXPub Date : 2024-09-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00579
Wei Yang Tay , Christopher Yew Shuen Ang , Yeong Shiong Chiew , J. Geoffrey Chase
{"title":"CARETestLung: A mechanical test lung with Configurable airway Resistance, lung Elastance, and breathing efforts","authors":"Wei Yang Tay , Christopher Yew Shuen Ang , Yeong Shiong Chiew , J. Geoffrey Chase","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00579","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00579","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A mechanical test lung is a crucial tool in accurately simulating patient-specific physiological responses of patients undergoing mechanical ventilation (MV), which, in turn, offer clinicians insight into lung mechanics during MV. In particular, it can be used to facilitate better methods to identify optimal ventilator settings, modes for individual patients by providing a platform to experiment with different MV settings. This addresses the challenge of optimising MV settings caused by variability in pathological conditions and the progression of respiratory disease over time within patients. However, the accessibility and cost of versatile test lungs limit widespread adoption in clinical settings, underscoring the need for affordable alternatives. This paper presents detailed instructions for the design and construction of a replicable, cost-effective mechanical test lung. The design features 3 subsystems: 1) the lung compartment; 2) the airway; and 3) a spontaneous breathing system. A detailed tests series shows its ability to replicate clinically realistic lung elastance values ranging from 25 to 85 cmH<sub>2</sub>O/L and airway resistance values from 10 to 45 cmH<sub>2</sub>O·s/L. It can also simulate a range of clinically realistic spontaneous breathing patterns. These capabilities yield pressure and flow ventilation data comparable to certified clinical test lungs across diverse scenarios, as well as matching clinically observed behaviours and dynamics. This accessible and versatile test lung offers valuable opportunities for optimising MV settings and advancing patient care, as well as its use in developing a range of physiological models for model-based decision support.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468067224000737/pdfft?md5=78a49d0c8a769a23258c39415bf8eb2a&pid=1-s2.0-S2468067224000737-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142117683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HardwareXPub Date : 2024-08-28DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00577
Yannic Toschke , Jan Klenen , Mirco Imlau
{"title":"Open Photonics: An integrated approach for building a 3D-printed motorized rotation stage system","authors":"Yannic Toschke , Jan Klenen , Mirco Imlau","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00577","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00577","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In the context of experimental optics- and photonics-research, motorized, high-precision rotation stages are an integral part of almost every laboratory setup. Nevertheless, their availability in the laboratory is limited due to the relatively high acquisition costs in the range of several 1000€ and is often supplemented by manual rotation stages. If only a single sample is to be analyzed repeatedly at two different angles or the polarization of a laser source is to be rotated, this approach is understandable. Yet, in the context of automation and the associated gain in measurement time, cost-effective and precise rotation stages designed for the use of optics are lacking.</p><p>We present a low-cost alternative of a motorized high precision rotation stage system. The design is based on a combination of 3D-printed components, which form the monolithic mechanical framework, and a stepper motor controlled by an ESP32 based microcontroller. By coupling the motor and rotation unit via a toothed belt, backlash is minimized and at the same time high positioning accuracy can be achieved. Finally, the implementation of remote procedure calls for serial communication and the utilization of a physical home switch and incremental encoder complete the desired feature set of an integrated system for laboratory setups. The total costs can thus be reduced to less than 100€ without significantly restricting the performance criteria.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468067224000713/pdfft?md5=61cd481c35a35949d76e0620bb7be30a&pid=1-s2.0-S2468067224000713-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142136661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}