🚧 Layout Files

Creating Layout Templates

Naturally, by updating key wells (e.g., where, if you follow best practices, you always place positive and negative controls), you've effectively created a standard layout template for future tests. This is how you can quickly generate layout templates directly through your device's interface. After updating the necessary wells, simply add a name for this layout in the text field next to the 'Save' button, and the press 'Save'. This will store the layout as a reusable template for future incubations, which you can select via the dropdown menu next to the 'Load' section directly beneath. Once selected, simply click on the 'Load' button and your layout template will be brought into view into the 'plate table' on the left.

Now, the interesting thing is that your device is 'saving' a layout generated like this through the 'layout interface' as a standard CSV file. Here's how you can access it:

1. Access your device's interface via your computer's browser.
2. Sign in as the administrator🔗.
3. Go to the 'Files' tab.
4. Go to the 'LayoutDefinition' folder, where the file will be stored.

Using this feature, you save time and avoid manual re-entries when performing tests with similar configurations ('general/template layouts'). And just as you've seen how to generate a CSV extract of a layout template through the device interface, it's possible to do the reverse — i.e., you can create your own custom layout template files externally and upload them directly to your device.

This is particularly useful for automating sample preparation processes, as it allows you to generate 'incubation-specific layouts.' By understanding how your device's CSV layout structure works, you'll be able to configure your sample management system to automatically generate custom layouts with pre-filled sample IDs and metadata. This saves time, reduces user-input errors, and lays the groundwork for automating how your device communicates data back to your laboratory systems. So, let's look at how the CSV file is structured and how you can upload it to your device.

Layout File's CSV Structure

The CSV file format used by your device for layouts is a simple, 'comma-separated structure' ('CSV'). Each row in the file represents data related to a specific well on the plate, and the system reads it from top to bottom during upload. Let’s break down the structure and how it works with an example:

[[ // link to download this file as an example ]] - Added attached - I recommend adding only 1 file. local language and excel settings will affect how CSV is displayed. In soem cases it wil lopen automaticlaly with the values in separate columns.

To help illustrate, let's have a look at how this example would look like if converted into a standard table format (e.g., 'XLSX') .

[[ // link to download this file as an example ]]

As you can probably tell, each column has a set of 'data definitions' your device expects in order to 'understand' how to translate into a layout. Here's how they work:

It's important to keep in mind that a well can effectively only be three states: (1) 'True' Positive-Reference and 'False' Negative-Reference (i.e., a positive reference control); (2) 'False' Positive-Reference and 'True' Negative-Reference (i.e., a negative reference control), or (3) 'False' Positive-Reference and 'False' Negative-Reference (i.e., neither a positive nor negative reference control — just a standard sample to be tested for which its test outcome is yet unknown). Therefore any other, invalid combination will result in an error (i.e., 'A01,True,True,[Comment]' is not an accepted state, as a sample cannot be a 'Positive' and a 'Negative' reference control at the same time).

Uploading Layout CSV File

Once you've prepared your CSV file, there are two ways to upload it to your device: manually or automatically. Let’s explore both methods:

Manual Upload

There are two simple ways to manually upload your CSV file into the device:

Manual Upload via the 'Layout Interface'

1. Access your device’s interface via your computer’s browser.
2. Go to the 'Incubation' tab.
3. In the 'Upload' section on the right-hand panel, click 'Choose File' to select the CSV layout you’ve created.
4. Once selected, click 'Upload file'. Your layout will now appear in the 'plate table' on the left, and you can start your incubation with this customized setup.

Manual Upload via 'Files' Directory

1. Access the device's file directory by connecting to it through your computer’s file explorer.
2. Sign in as the administrator🔗.
3. Go to the 'Files' tab.
4. Find the 'LayoutDefinition' folder.
5. Paste the generated CSV file into this folder. 
6. Once uploaded, the CSV layout should be accessible through the 'Load' dropdown menu in the 'layout interface' when you return to the 'Incubation' tab.

Layouts for strips: 

Preparing a layout for strip incubation follows the same principle as full plates. The user specifies the samples on the wells of the strip that are about to be incubated and inserts them in the CSV file. There is no need to specify all wells in the Layout format. 

Do you want to incubate with strips? then read carefully the next article🔗.

[[ // what about layouts for 'strips'?? ]] AB- see above. 

- For a partial/ block plate incubation

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