Virtual pipetting

1. A method for generating a control program for a laboratory automation device that comprises a pipetting arm that is movable with respect to a workbench, the method comprising:

receiving configuration data of the laboratory automation device, the configuration data encoding positions of components in the laboratory automation device;

generating a three-dimensional model of the components of the laboratory automation device from the configuration data, the three-dimensional model additionally including a virtual pipette, wherein the virtual pipette comprises a virtual pipette tip;

displaying the three-dimensional model with a virtual reality headset;

receiving movement data of a motion sensing controller controlled by a user wearing the virtual reality headset, the movement data indicating a three-dimensional movement of the motion sensing controller in space, wherein the motion sensing controller comprises a handle to being held in a hand of a user wearing the virtual reality headset;

determining a movement of the virtual pipette in the three-dimensional model from the movement data and updating the three-dimensional model according to the movement of the virtual pipette;

displaying the virtual pipette tip of the virtual pipette at a lower end of the handle of the motion sensing controller in the three-dimensional model in the virtual reality headset;

receiving activation data from the motion sensing controller, the activation data indicating a finger movement of the user on the motion sensing controller;

determining an aspiration and/or dispensing of a liquid in the three-dimensional model from the position of the virtual pipette in the three-dimensional model at which the activation data indicates an activation of the motion sensing controller;

recording a path of one or more tips of the virtual pipette in the three-dimensional model and tracking points on the path, wherein the tracking points encode a position of an event, which takes place when the content of the virtual pipette changes; and

generating a control program for the laboratory automation device from the movement data, the path and the tracking points, which encode a position of an event, which takes place when the content of the virtual pipette changes, wherein the control program is configured to move a pipetting arm with a pipette of the laboratory automation device with respect to the components accordingly to the movement of the virtual pipette in the three-dimensional model and wherein the control program is configured to control the pipette of the pipetting arm for aspirating and dispensing of a liquid accordingly to the virtual pipette in the three-dimensional model.

2. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein aspiration points and dispensing points for liquids are determined from the movement and activation data;

wherein a movement of the pipetting arm is determined from the aspiration points and dispensing points.

3. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein a movement of liquids virtually aspirated and dispensed with the virtual pipette is performed in the three-dimensional model and displayed in the virtual reality headset.

4. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the components include a disposable tip and a mounting and movement of the disposable tip is performed in the three-dimensional model and displayed in the virtual reality headset.

5. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein, for each component, the configuration data encodes a type of component and a position of the component in the laboratory automation device;

wherein the three-dimensional model is generated from modeling data encoding a geometric layout for each component.

6. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the components comprise at least one of a well, a microtiter plate, a reagent container and a sample tube.

7. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein types of liquids contained in the components are specified in the configuration data of the laboratory automation device;

wherein different types of liquids are differently visualized in the three-dimensional model.

8. The method of claim 1 :

manually arranging at least some of the components in the laboratory automation device;

determining at least some of the configuration data with a sensor of the laboratory automation device.

9. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein movement data and/or activation data is recorded for one virtual sample;

wherein the control program is generated, such that it repeats the movement of the pipetting arm and/or aspiration and dispensing of the pipette for a plurality of real samples in the laboratory automation device.

10. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the motion sensing controller comprises a motion sensor for generating the movement data.

11. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the virtual pipette is a multichannel pipette comprising a plurality of pipette tips.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the motion sensing controller is designed like a handle part of a real pipette.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the motion sensing controller comprises a button for generating the activation data.

14. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to:

receive configuration data of the laboratory automation device, the configuration data encoding positions of components in the laboratory automation device;

generate a three-dimensional model of the components of the laboratory automation device from the configuration data, the three-dimensional model additionally including a virtual pipette, wherein the virtual pipette comprises a virtual pipette tip;

display the three-dimensional model with a virtual reality headset;

receive movement data of a motion sensing controller controlled by a user wearing the virtual reality headset, the movement data indicating a three-dimensional movement of the motion sensing controller in space, wherein the motion sensing controller comprises a handle to being held in a hand of a user wearing the virtual reality headset;

determine a movement of the virtual pipette in the three-dimensional model from the movement data and updating the three-dimensional model according to the movement of the virtual pipette;

receive activation data from the motion sensing controller, the activation data indicating a finger movement of the user on the motion sensing controller;

display the virtual pipette tip of the virtual pipette at a lower end of the handle of the motion sensing controller in the three-dimensional model in the virtual reality headset;

determine an aspiration and/or dispensing of a liquid in the three-dimensional model from the position of the virtual pipette in the three-dimensional model at which the activation data indicates an activation of the motion sensing controller;

record a path of one or more tips of the virtual pipette in the three-dimensional model and tracking points on the path, wherein the tracking points encode a position of an event, which takes place when the content of the virtual pipette changes; and

generate a control program for the laboratory automation device from the movement data, the path and the tracking points, which encode a position of an event, which takes place when the content of the virtual pipette changes, wherein the control program is configured to move a pipetting arm with a pipette of the laboratory automation device with respect to the components accordingly to the movement of the virtual pipette in the three-dimensional model and wherein the control program is configured to control the pipette of the pipetting arm for aspirating and dispensing of a liquid accordingly to the virtual pipette in the three-dimensional model.

15. A control system for a laboratory automation device, the system comprising:

the laboratory automation device;

a virtual reality headset;

a motion sensing controller comprising a handle to be held in a hand of a user wearing the virtual reality headset; and

a computing device communicatively interconnected with the laboratory automation device, the virtual reality headset and the motion sensing controller, the motion sensing controller configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving configuration data of the laboratory automation device, the configuration data encoding positions of components in the laboratory automation device;

generating a three-dimensional model of the components of the laboratory automation device from the configuration data, the three-dimensional model additionally including a virtual pipette, wherein the virtual pipette comprises a virtual pipette tip;

displaying the three-dimensional model including the virtual pipette tip of the virtual pipette at a lower end of the handle of the motion sensing controller with the virtual reality headset;

receiving movement data of a motion sensing controller controlled by a user wearing the virtual reality headset, the movement data indicating a three-dimensional movement of the motion sensing controller in space;

determining a movement of the virtual pipette in the three-dimensional model from the movement data and updating the three-dimensional model according to the movement of the virtual pipette;

receiving activation data from the motion sensing controller, the activation data indicating a finger movement of the user on the motion sensing controller;

determining an aspiration and/or dispensing of a liquid in the three-dimensional model from the position of the virtual pipette in the three-dimensional model at which the activation data indicates an activation of the motion sensing controller;

recording a path of one or more tips of the virtual pipette in the three-dimensional model and tracking points on the path, wherein the tracking points encode a position of an event, which takes place when the content of the virtual pipette changes; and

generating a control program for the laboratory automation device from the movement data, the path and the tracking points, which encode a position of an event, which takes place when the content of the virtual pipette changes, wherein the control program is configured to move a pipetting arm with a pipette of the laboratory automation device with respect to the components accordingly to the movement of the virtual pipette in the three-dimensional model and wherein the control program is configured to control the pipette of the pipetting arm for aspirating and dispensing of a liquid accordingly to the virtual pipette in the three-dimensional model.