Novel magnetic stirrer speaks to lab equipment

Date:
August 3, 2020
Source:
University of Warwick
Summary:
A small device, called 'Smart Stirrer', performed a function of a
conventional laboratory stir bar, has an integrated microprocessor
and various sensors capable of wireless and autonomous report
the conversion of properties of a solution. Results are sent to a
computer over Bluetooth, and any changes notify the user wirelessly.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A current problem for a wide range of chemists is when stirring a solution
in the laboratory there is a need to check the properties of the solution
and monitor how they change.


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In the paper, 'Monitoring chemistry in situ with the Smart Stirrer --
a magnetic stirrer bar with an integrated process monitoring system'
published in the journal ACS Sensors, researchers from the School of Engineering, the Mathematics Institute and WMG at the University of
Warwick present their innovative stirrer sensor.

The small device, called "Smart Stirrer," performed a function of a conventional laboratory stir bar, has an integrated microprocessor and
various sensors capable of wireless and autonomous report the conversion
of properties of a solution. The advanced sensor stir bar is a capsule
shaped magnet encased in plastic.

A beaker filled with a solution is placed on a platform that generates
a rotating magnetic field, when the magnetic stirrer is placed in the
solution it continuously rotates stirring the liquid.

The Smart Stirrer then monitors:
* - Colour
- Transparency - Conductivity


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- Viscosity - Temperature
Results are sent to a computer over Bluetooth, and any changes notify
the user wirelessly. Although the idea of using magnetic stir bar
with integrated sensors may not be entirely new, this new affordable, multi-sensor and easy programmable stirrer sensor device is first in
its kind.

The concept is valuable to Research and Design laboratories and
pharmaceutical and chemistry manufacturing industries because it allows wireless monitoring of several parameters of a chemical reaction
simultaneously Dr Dmitry Isakov, from WMG at the University who led
the study comments: "We are still continuing research into the stirrer,
the next revision of the stirrer sensor that will be smaller size and
with a bit more sophisticated sensors. We are collaborating with several chemists from Warwick University.

This will help us to understand their needs and help to improve the
device.



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"The beauty of the Smart Stirrer is that it can be used everywhere,
such as a sealed vessels thus minimising the contamination of the
reactor. It may give a push to new discoveries as well. It is easy to
integrate the stirrer into the labware family and make it "speak" to other
lab equipment." Samuel Baldwin, from the Mathematics institute at the University of Warwick worked on the smart stirrer during his WMG summer internship, he comments: "I have found every stage of development of the
Smart Stirrer to be very fulfilling, from circuit design, to manufacturing
to finally programming. We have leveraged state-of-the-art technology
to build a device with very low power consumption, a broad range of
sensor capabilities, and high data- throughput over the Bluetooth Low
Energy platform.

"The laboratory of the future is that of automation, reproducibility and safety; our all-in-one Smart Stirrer device eliminates the need for a
vast array of individual wired sensors whilst maintaining the control
and customisability that one would expect from any piece of advanced
laboratory equipment. I look forward to seeing the Smart Stirrer solve laboratory problems and help us understand complex reactions."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Warwick. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Nikolay Cherkasov, Samuel Baldwin, Gregory J. Gibbons, Dmitry
Isakov.

Monitoring Chemistry In Situ with a Smart Stirrer: A Magnetic
Stirrer Bar with an Integrated Process Monitoring System. ACS
Sensors, 2020; DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.0c00720 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200803105247.htm

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