Automated Analyzer Printer Placement and Contamination Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated analyzers face challenges with printer placement, as continuous paper rolls ejected from built-in printers can contaminate samples or reagents, leading to hygiene issues and inefficient space use, especially when placed on the upper or side faces, and spilling risks when placed on the front face.
Innovation Solution
The automated analyzer features a printer positioned on the front wall with a recessed housing upper portion acting as a protective eaves, a paper receptacle below the printer, and an optional front door with a window to manage paper ejection and prevent contamination, allowing for efficient space use and hygiene.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the printer is disposed on the upper face of the analyzer, then the analyzer can be compact, but recording paper may become contaminated with spilled liquids and cannot be disposed near walls
Solution Approach 1:
The printer is extracted from the upper face of the analyzer and relocated to the front face. This separation removes the paper ejection path from the liquid handling area, eliminating the contamination risk while maintaining compact design. The printer becomes an independent component positioned where paper ejection does not interfere with sample or reagent handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The front face of the analyzer serves as an intermediary zone between the internal liquid handling systems and the external paper ejection path. By positioning the printer on the front face, this intermediary area allows paper to be ejected forward away from the upper face where liquids are handled, preventing direct contact between paper and potential spills.
2Volume of moving object
If the printer is disposed on the side face of the analyzer, then the analyzer can be compact, but space utilization is reduced as no other device can be placed nearby
Solution Approach 1:
The front face of the analyzer is designed to serve multiple functions: it houses the printer for paper ejection, provides a user interface area, and maintains access to internal components. This multi-functional design allows the front face to accommodate the printer while still being suitable for operator interaction and potentially other devices, maximizing space utilization without compromising compactness.
3Ease of operation
If the printer is disposed on the front face of the analyzer, then operator accessibility is improved, but the printer and paper may become contaminated with spilled samples or reagents
Solution Approach 1:
The paper ejection direction is changed from the upper face (vertical dimension) to the front face (horizontal dimension). This dimensional change redirects the paper path away from the liquid handling area where spills occur, allowing the printer to be accessible on the front face while eliminating exposure to contamination risks through spatial reconfiguration.
Data Source
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AI summary
To provide an automated analyzer with a built-in, user-friendly printer that can avoid contamination of printed paper of the printer by having a housing front wall 102 provided in a recessed manner from a front end 101 of a housing upper portion that has disposed thereon a sample disc 110, a reagent disc 120, a reaction disc, a sample dispensing mechanism, and a reagent dispensing mechanism, and by having a printer 200 and a paper receptacle 210 disposed on the housing front wall. The front end portion of the housing upper portion that projects beyond the housing front wall serves as eaves, thereby preventing a sample or a reagent that may be spilled on the housing upper portion from staining the printer or printing paper.