Analysis Device Independent Unit Control via Time Charts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic analysis devices with shared control CPUs for multiple analysis units require stopping all units for maintenance, limiting simultaneous operations and reducing analysis efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An automatic analysis device with independent operation control for each unit using time charts stored in a storage part, allowing synchronization points for coordinated operations, enabling separate operations across units controlled by a single control part.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a same control CPU is shared for multiple analysis units, then manufacturing costs are reduced and power consumption is saved, but maintenance operations require stopping all analysis units simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control functionality by introducing a master control CPU that coordinates multiple slave control CPUs, each dedicated to specific analysis units. This segmentation allows independent control of different analysis units while maintaining overall system coordination, enabling maintenance on one unit without stopping others.
Solution Approach 2:
The master control CPU acts as an intermediary between the slave control CPUs and the external control device. It manages the distribution of control signals and coordinates operations across multiple analysis units, enabling selective maintenance while maintaining system-wide synchronization when needed.
2Device complexity
If a same control CPU controls all analysis units, then device complexity is reduced, but it becomes complicated to manage which mechanisms should be operated or stopped
Solution Approach 1:
The control structure is segmented into master and slave control CPUs, where each slave CPU manages specific analysis units. This segmentation simplifies operation management by allowing selective activation or deactivation of individual slave CPUs and their corresponding analysis units, making it straightforward to manage which mechanisms should be operated or stopped.
3Ease of repair
If one analysis unit performs maintenance, then consumables can be replaced, but all other analysis units must stop operations
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented such that each analysis unit has its own slave control CPU that can be independently deactivated. This allows maintenance operations on one analysis unit without affecting the operation of other units, eliminating the need to stop the entire system for routine maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous useful action by allowing other analysis units to continue their analysis operations while one unit undergoes maintenance. The master control CPU coordinates this by keeping other slave CPUs active, ensuring that the system as a whole maintains productive operation without interruption.
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic analysis device and an automatic analysis system capable of executing separate operations by respective analysis units even in a device configuration where a same control part controls two or more analysis units, the automatic analysis device including a biochemistry analysis unit; an electrolyte analysis unit; one analysis unit control CPU for controlling operations of the biochemistry analysis unit and the electrolyte analysis unit; and a storage part for storing time charts of operations having different purposes for the biochemistry analysis unit and the electrolyte analysis units. Two or more of the biochemistry analysis units and the electrolyte analysis units operate independently to each other based on the time charts stored in the storage part.