The Digital Enabled Formulation Toolset (Deft) is a scalable, laboratory digital network that connects and integrates to existing bench-top instruments in chemical formulation and R&D labs.

Aimed specifically at the bench scientist, Deft was developed in concert with industrial research and formulation scientists. It provides the information gap when comparing manually made bench formulations or lab methods using common laboratory instruments and has a host of additional features such as experimental design, workflow control, remote access, data and audit trail and as a Laboratory Asset Management tool worthy of a fully digital Lab-of-the-Future program. Deft can work as a stand alone system or as part of an existing lab information management system such as LIMS, connecting to existing infrastructure.

The components that make up the Deft system consist of the Deft standard gateway, the Deft client app, bluetooth enabled smart tags, the SDM, network connectivity and your lab instruments. The Deft standard gateway connects up to 4 lab instruments and gateway hubs can come in 4, 2 or single connection variations.

An example of some of the instruments we have already connected to deft include balances, overhead stirrers, hotplates, rheometers, mobile temperature probes and thermomixers.

Deft has been developed alongside an app which is available for android and IOS devices. It is also in development for desktop operations for Microsoft Windows, MAC OS and Linux.

The app acts as an on-board guide and digital logbook whilst digitally recording and capturing all the results and information from the experiment. The Deft app allows the scientist to wirelessly control the experiment, scan barcodes, take pictures and videos and record notes to add with the formulation instructions, allowing the scientist to focus more on the experiment they are conducting.

Without Deft, formulation steps are only as accurate as the scientist’s memory and note taking meaning experiment failures are possible. Deft eliminates these risks and improves the quality of data, reproducibility and ultimately, lab efficiency.

The lab of the future product is built on the growing SiLA2 (Standardisation in Lab Automation) Rapid Integration protocol. Data captured by Deft, can be used for audit/verification of formulations, modelling and process scale up. Implementing SiLA 2 drivers for this technology provides many benefits such as digitalisation information capture and standard Deft benefits which include specific user experimental design and workflow integration via an Android Tablet or mobile phone App.

Deft is cloud-ready to allow Asset Management, remote access and Over-The-Air updates seamlessly integrating into any digital laboratory or Lab-of-the-Future environment.

The AST team are proud to have won a prestigious international RedDot award for the 'Innovative Design 2022' category for our lab of the future product.

For more information on our Deft system or to request a live demo, contact our AST team today at sales@appliedst.co.uk or call +44 (0) 1642 717550.

Applied Scientific Technologies (AST) is an emerging, innovative spin-out company founded in 2017 based in Stokesley, North Yorkshire. Founded by two directors from Applied Integration UK Ltd, a company celebrating its 15th working anniversary. AST are innovative specialists in laboratory robotics, digital Lab-of-the-Future connectivity and hardware integration for the chemical, pharmaceutical, physical and life science industries supporting your laboratory digitalisation journey.

Deft – Your Instruments, Your Workflow, Made Digital