Tecan FluentControl to LIMS integration and sample tracking

Seal makes Tecan Fluent preparation evidence useful across the laboratory. Connect FluentControl Sample Tracking reports to the destination plate, originating samples and downstream assay, so your team can review the preparation behind a result in one connected record.

A Fluent plate becomes a connected assay record

Illustrative records for a Sample Tracking report handoff.

  1. Preparation run

    FLUENT-052 / method 3

    Retain the run and selected tracking report.

  2. Source

    SOURCE-052 / A02

    Keep the sample and source-well identity.

  3. Destination

    ASSAY-052 / C06

    Map the recorded transfer and pipetting status.

  4. Analytical result

    READER-052 / C06

    Connect the measurement to its preparation evidence.

Keep the plate map useful after the robot finishes.

Seal connects the preparation report to the assay and experimental records that follow. Scientists can reach the source plate, recorded volume and pipetting status from the destination sample, making it easier to investigate results and reuse the preparation context.

neil can help prepare a plate-review brief that brings the tracking report and assay evidence together. This gives the team an efficient starting point for reviewing exceptions while preserving the original records for inspection.

With the records connected, try asking neil:

Review this Tecan destination plate with its assay results. Identify wells with recorded preparation errors and link each finding to the tracking report and sample.

Use the tracking report generated for the run.

Tecan documents Sample Tracking as a FluentControl add-on. Its report generation produces PDF output and can also export CSV. Confirm the installed licence and tracking configuration, then agree the report type and destination labware with the automation owner.

The Seal handoff can retain the readable report and map the agreed tracking fields into preparation records. Collect evidence at the end of the relevant run so the destination plate has a clear source record when the laboratory starts its next step.

Preserve the meaning of plate and well identifiers.

Tecan distinguishes tracking within a run from persistent tracking across runs. Establish which mode your installation uses and how the lab assigns barcodes before building the mapping. Retain plate and well references, the run and the sample identity required by the receiving workflow.

In Seal, connect those identifiers to the preparation and assay templates already used by the team. A plate map can then support later work without relying on a temporary worktable position or a filename that changes when the report is copied.

Make preparation status visible beside the result.

Carry the recorded volume, concentration context and pipetting error information that the agreed export supplies. A destination well can then retain both the requested preparation and the recorded outcome. Configure the receiving review rules around those statuses.

When a plate proceeds to a reader, use its identity and well addresses to connect the measurements. Seal can bring the preparation and analytical evidence into the same review, including any unresolved well that needs the automation team's attention.

Vendor references for this workflow

Test it with your data.

Use these cases to agree and test the connection’s behaviour. They are proposed acceptance checks, not completed tests or automatic connector features.

The tracking report records a destination-well error

The CSV lists an error for C06 although the worklist requested a normal transfer.

Expected behaviour
Retain the error with C06 and show it when the assay result is reviewed.
Evidence to keep
The tracking PDF, CSV row, destination identity and review status.

A later run continues work on an existing plate

The same plate undergoes a second preparation with additional source contributions.

Expected behaviour
Link the new preparation to the existing plate while retaining each run's evidence.
Evidence to keep
The plate barcode, two run reports and contribution history for the affected wells.
More checks for this connection
  • Compare the same destination well in the tracking PDF, CSV and Seal record.
  • Verify plate identity across two successive runs under the installed tracking mode.
  • Carry a recorded pipetting error into the receiving review workflow.

Before you connect

How can Tecan FluentControl connect to Seal LIMS workflows?

Configure the available Sample Tracking reports, collect completed evidence and map run, sample and destination-well fields into Seal. Confirm the licence, tracking mode and report layout with the FluentControl owner.

Which FluentControl file should be used for sample genealogy?

Use the run's Sample Tracking evidence, with the destination plate and recorded pipetting status. Tecan documents a PDF report and optional CSV export for this purpose.

Can the same sample be tracked across several preparation runs?

Yes, the Seal record can link successive preparations using stable sample and container identities. The source handoff must account for the installed Tecan tracking mode and retain the evidence for each run.

Check your system’s connection options.

Confirm the installed version, available exports and permissions. These pages cover the source interface and link to setup instructions.

For configuration: Seal Scripts and local-file collection.

Build the workflow around your lab.

Start with a Seal blueprint, then connect the source evidence and records your team uses.

Start with one export.

Bring the source evidence and the records it needs to connect to. For this workflow, a useful starting pack is:

  • A finalized Sample Tracking PDF and CSV for the same destination plate.
  • The FluentControl version, tracking mode and labware barcode conventions.
  • An assay plate result and a preparation report containing a pipetting exception.
Discuss this connection