Losing track of which sample went into which plate-well can have serious consequences for farmers, milk processing chains, and consumers. Ensuring proper traceability and minimising errors caused by manual data entry is therefore essential in a modern, smart lab. The Delvotest® Accelerator Smart’s (DAS’s) Incubation tab helps you achieve precisely that—reducing manual input errors, improving traceability, and laying the groundwork for seamless integration with your Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). In this article, we’ll introduce the Incubation tab’s components and explore how its layout features support consistent, automated workflows.
Structure
As depicted below, the Incubation tab is made of two major sections:
1. Checklist section
2. Layout section
The Layout section (2) has three subsections:
2.1. Plate table
2.2. Cell data panel
2.3. Layout file management panel
Checklist Section
The first section in the Incubation tab is a list of twelve parameters essential for running a test. Each has a unique function, and some parameters are linked to each other. When a parameter's input field is greyed, it means it is not possible to enter a value as its input is calculated through a pre-defined function. Here's what each means in detail:
- Use barcode scan checkbox ☑️
On the heating grid's right, the DAS has an opening where a barcode scanner is located. Every Delvotest® plate comes with a standard barcode sticker, with essential information such as the batch and plate numbers. By leaving this checkbox ticked, when inserting a plate the DAS will attempt scanning the barcode, taking the relevant data on it to fill in the greyed out Batch number, Plate number and Expiry date [YYYY-MM-DD]fields in the Checklist section. By unticking this checkbox, these fields become available for manual input, where information can be manually entered by the operator. We advise using the barcode scanning feature as much as possible to reduce error-prone workload from operators. However, manual input might be desirable when incubating leftover plate-strips, where the original barcode sticker may no longer be available unless otherwise saved for later use. For more information on how to read your Delvotest® plate's barcode sticker and more generally how batch numbers are structured, check out this article🔗. // update link // - Use default method checkbox ☑️
If this checkbox is ticked, the Inhibitor method dropdown will remain greyed ('locked'), as, based on the Product name field, the correct certified method will be automatically selected. If unticked, the Inhibitor method dropdown becomes available for manual input where a custom method🔗 can be selected. In most cases, this field is unlikely to be used as it relates to customised methods, which are closely designed and locally validated with our support. This could however be relevant to you if your local circumstances require routine testing of non-standard matrices (e.g., samples with preservatives; samples other than from raw co-mingled cow milk—e.g., goat, sheep, and/or other dairy producing species, and/or dairy cream, colostrum, etc.). If this is the case, first make sure to check out our Local Validation Framework articles🔗 and then reach out to support@delvotest.com. - Use predefined layout checkbox ☑️
A great feature available for the DAS's layout automation use cases🔗, where either a standard template can be automatically selected (useful for when the same quantities of POSITIVE and/or NEGATIVE reference controls are placed in the same wells), or, when full integration with your local systems has been established (e.g., LIMS), layouts with sample-specific data (e.g., bulk tank IDs) can be automatically selected. However, if you’re following the Installation and Setup flow🔗, we recommend leaving these features aside for now so that you can focus on running your first test🔗, executing your local validation plan🔗, and establishing a robust application protocol🔗. Once you’ve built that solid foundation, we’ll revisit these more advanced capabilities to help optimise and automate your laboratory operations even further. - Operator dropdown
The first field which must be completed to prepare a test, this is where, after configuration🔗, you can select yourself as the operator running the test. - Comments field
This is where you can enter a high-level note about the test being prepared. This input will be shown in the result's report. - Batch number field
One of the grey ('locked') fields when the Use barcode scan checkbox is ticked, becoming available for manual input when unticked (see above🔗). - Plate number field
One of the grey ('locked') fields when the Use barcode scan checkbox is ticked, becoming available for manual input when unticked (see above🔗). - Expiry date [YYYY-MM-DD] field
One of the grey ('locked') fields when the Use barcode scan checkbox is ticked, becoming available for manual input when unticked (see above🔗). - Product name field
Always grey ('locked'), this field automatically determines whether a Delvotest® T or Delvotest® SP NT plate has been used based on the Batch number field. - Inhibitor method dropdown
One of the grey ('locked') fields when the Use default method checkbox is ticked, becoming available for manual input when unticked (see above🔗). - Nr Positive Ref field; and
- Nr Negative Ref field
Two of the grey ('locked') fields, these never become available for manual input. Rather, they display a total count based on the number of POSTIVE and NEGATIVE reference controls respectively defined through the Layout section.
Layout Section
This section is made of three key subsections:
2.1. Plate table
2.2. Cell data panel
2.3. Layout file management panel
2.1. Plate Table Subsection // Physical vs Digital Grid Layout
Delvotest® plates follow a standard layout structure consisting of twelve numerical columns and eight alphabetical rows, creating a grid of 96 individual 'cells' (i.e., individual plate-wells). Individual numbering and lettering above columns and rows respectively are physically engraved in the plate, though they can be tricky to spot. Moreover, plate columns are organised in breakable stacks of two, forming individual plate-strips (for more information, check out this article🔗).
The A1 corner, representing the first plate-well, is marked by a physical indentation, and the first plate-column's side includes a barcode sticker for scanning. When placing a Delvotest® plate into the DAS's internal plate-holder (i.e., 'heating grid'), the A1 corner must be positioned on the lower right side of the heating grid (see below). This constitutes the DAS's physical layout, and is designed to function exclusively with this specific orientation.
This physical layout however differs from the interface's digital layout section in the Incubation tab. At first, particularly for operators used to visual reading, this can be confusing. However, once an 'A1 match' is established visually, it becomes easier to understand—so the picture below can be helpful, as well as the following description: take a Delvotest® plate with the opening of the wells facing upwards, and simply rotate it 180° degrees.
2.2. Cell Data Panel Subsection
The plate table subsection visualises each plate-well as individual cells (e.g., A1, B2), where each can store critical metadata. The cell data panel subsection is made of five parameters:
- Cell field
The column-row coordinates of individual plate-wells (e.g., A1, B1, etc.). Whenever an individual cell is selected on the plate table subsection, the Cell field will automatically update to reflect its column-row coordinates. Inversely, by typing a column-row coordinate on the Cell field, the respective cell in the plate table subsection will be selected.
This is where you can enter the ID of the specific well you want to add more information to (for example, 'A1' or 'B2'). Alternatively, you can simply click on the corresponding well in the plate table to get its 'cell ID'. - Cellinfo field
Here’s where you can enter additional details about the sample in the selected well, such as a sample ID or description (e.g., 'Farm1', 'Sample7794').
❗Make sure input follows the DAS's Special Characters requirements🔗. Generally, this means it should only include uppercase letters (A–Z), lowercase letters (a–z), digits (0–9), hyphen (-), and underscore (_).
- Positive and Negative checkboxes
If the sample in a cell is a known POSITIVE or NEGATIVE reference control, you can select the corresponding checkbox to label it. It can never be both, but it can be neither (i.e., indicating it's not a reference control).
💡By the way, did you know that even if you indicate a sample is a reference control, the DAS will still test it without presuming its performance prior? This is part of the DAS's way of ensuring continuous verification for your reference controls as part of its Working Principle🔗.
- Update button
When entering data manually via the layout section, any changes in the parameters above must be saved via the Update button.
2.3. Layout File Management Panel Subsection
This subsection is where you can manually save, load, and upload layouts. Similar to the Use predefined layout checkbox🔗 in the Checklist section, these features become especially powerful when you’re ready to take advantage of layout automation use cases🔗. However, if you’re following the Installation and Setup flow🔗, we recommend leaving these features aside for now so that you can focus on running your first test🔗, executing your local validation plan🔗, and establishing a robust application protocol🔗. Once you’ve built that solid foundation, we’ll revisit these more advanced capabilities to help optimise and automate your laboratory operations even further.
Next Steps
If you're following the Installation and Setup flow🔗, we recommend moving ahead to now check whether your DAS(es)'s temperature are performing according to specifications.
⏭️ Next article: Verifying Temperature Accuracy🔗
Alternatively, if you're ready to delve deeper into layout automation and integrate your DAS with your Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), this next article will explain how layout files are structured.
⏭️ Next article: Layout Files🔗
💬 Got any questions? Need help? Contact us at support@delvotest.com