Researchers from Clemson University and Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation have created an industrial benchtop robot that autonomously fills, caps and seals sterile syringes.

The pharmaceutical collaborative robot is designed to take over the delicate task of filling, capping and sealing pre-filled syringes, which is currently conducted by as many as five technicians a day in Nephron Pharmaceutical’s labs under laminar airflow hoods in ISO classified clean rooms.

The technology is expected to allow technicians to turn their attention to other more critical tasks in the lab. It is also expected to improve the productivity of the pharmaceutical supply chain, which has endured drug shortages for some time due to manufacturing issues.

Footage of the benchtop robot in its early stages of development is shown in the accompanying video that appears courtesy of Clemson University.