Automatic Analyzer Maintenance Guidance With Step Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing automatic analyzers face challenges in complex maintenance work, where user operations can be omitted, leading to potential malfunctions due to inadequate screen-based support techniques.

Innovation Solution

An automatic analyzer and maintenance support method that integrates user work with apparatus driving, utilizing a control unit, display unit, and interlocking mechanisms to guide users through maintenance processes, ensuring safe and complete operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If screen-based support technique is used to guide user operation, then user operation accuracy is improved, but user completeness of maintenance work deteriorates due to omission of operations in complex maintenance work

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser operation accuracyVSAvoidcompleteness of maintenance work
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by detecting user operations through sensors and comparing them with the required maintenance procedure steps. The control unit receives detection signals from sensors that monitor user actions, determines whether the detected operation matches the expected step, and provides appropriate feedback (proceed to next step or request correction). This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures both operational accuracy and completeness of maintenance tasks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The maintenance guidance system operates autonomously by automatically detecting user operations through sensors, comparing them with required procedures, and controlling the flow of maintenance steps without requiring external intervention. The system self-manages the guidance process, detecting operations, determining correctness, and progressing through maintenance steps independently, reducing reliance on external manual verification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If complex maintenance procedure is implemented, then maintenance completeness is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to complexity of user work

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance completenessVSAvoidease of user work
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The maintenance procedure is segmented into discrete steps, with each step associated with specific detection conditions. The control unit divides the complex maintenance task into manageable segments, guiding the user through one step at a time. Each segment corresponds to a specific operation that can be detected and verified independently, making the overall complex procedure easier to follow and execute.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining the complete maintenance procedure and detection conditions before execution. The control unit has the entire maintenance protocol prepared in advance, with all detection conditions and expected operations predetermined. This allows the system to guide the user through pre-planned steps, reducing the cognitive load during actual maintenance execution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If automated detection and control is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of user workVSAvoidcomplexity of control system
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit serves multiple functions: it displays maintenance guidance, detects user operations through sensor signals, determines whether detected operations match required steps, controls the flow of maintenance procedures, and manages error handling. This multi-functional control unit reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function, thereby managing device complexity while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Sensors act as intermediaries between the user's physical operations and the control unit's digital processing. The sensors detect physical user actions and convert them into detection signals that the control unit can process. This intermediary layer simplifies the interface between human operation and automated control, making the system easier to operate while managing the complexity of automated detection and control mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3904886B1Automatic analysis device and maintenance assistance method
Publication Date: 2026.03.25 HITACHI HIGH TECH CORP
  • EP3904886B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3904886B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3904886B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is an automatic analyzer in which user work is in conjunction with apparatus driving and operation of a user even in complicated maintenance work is simplified. The automatic analyzer includes a measurement device 2 and a control device 3. The control device controls the measurement device. The control device includes an input unit 32 that receives a start instruction of maintenance work by a user, a control unit 31 that controls an apparatus to perform a predetermined first processing in accordance with input, a driving unit that performs driving in accordance with processing of the control unit, a display unit 33 that displays a second processing to be performed by the user in conjunction with the first processing after the first processing is terminated by the driving unit. The control device sequentially guides maintenance work of the user by performing the first processing or the second processing after the displayed second processing is executed by the user.