The Problem

Ever felt the frustration when measuring small samples?

Whether it be jittery hands or an accidental overshoot during sample measurements, it can get annoying, really quickly, especially when you have many experiments to run. 

In many scientific and industrial laboratories, experiments are often done in very small scales (in the order of milligrams!) However, manual methods of weighing these samples are often tiresome and vexing, requiring concentration, focus and a stable hand. In addition, overshooting the weight requires one to take samples out, or reweigh it, both of which add to the frustration. This affects professionals of many disciplines, not limited to chemists, pharmacists, material scientists, and lab technicians. 

Current Solutions?

Currently, there are two classes of equipment that can help in weighing samples automatically. They are shown below:

Precise small scale analytical balance accessories

Mettler Toledo. (n.d.). Balance XPR106DUHQ. Retrieved Sep 27, 2024, from https://www.mt.com/sg/en/home/products/Laboratory_Weighing_Solutions/analytical-balances/XPR106DUHQ.html

Mettler Toledo. (n.d.). Balance XPR106DUHQ. Retrieved Sep 27, 2024, https://www.mt.com/sg/en/home/products/Laboratory_Weighing_Solutions/analytical-balances/XPR226DRQ.html
  • Cost more than $10,000
  • Able to weigh at small scales (~1 mg)

Large scale dedicated weighing machines

Indiamart. (n.d.). VB TECHNO Digital Automatic Weighing And Filling Machine. Retrieved Sep 27, 2024, from https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/automatic-weighing-and-filling-machine-23868096297.html

Automicom. (n.d.). AW01 – Auto Weigh Filling Machine (500g). Retrieved Sep 27, 2024, from  https://sgesg.com/aw01-auto-weigh-filling-machine-500g/

Amazon. (n.d.). Lyman Gen6 Digital Powder Measure 115V (7750550), Multiple. Retrieved Sep 27, 2024, from https://a.co/d/6Qd7PRS
  • Cost more than $200
  • For weighing large scale weights (from 1 g to 100+ g)

Gaps and Insufficiencies in Current Solutions:

However, the current solutions are not able to address our needs. Firstly, the precise analytical balance accessories are far too expensive and are not compatible with weighing balances of different brands. Next, the cheaper alternatives are for weighing items in industrial scales and are not able to weigh in the milligram scales required. Lastly, both these classes of products require washing between different kinds of samples to prevent contamination.

 

Our Vision

This project aims to address these challenges by developing an automated solid dispensing accessory compatible with existing analytical balances.

The goal is to provide a solution that is:

  • Cheap (<$100)
  • Precise and reliable (± ~5 mg)
  • Simple for everyone to use
  • Does not require washing when weighing different samples
  • Can be easily integrated with existing laboratory infrastructure.