Automatic Analyzer Reagent Bottle Direction Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Automatic analyzers face inefficiencies in reagent bottle insertion due to bilateral symmetry of rectangular parallelepiped reagent bottles, leading to potential reverse placement and decreased throughput, as existing methods require overhead correction and restricted IC tag attachment for direction determination.

Innovation Solution

An automatic analyzer with a housing unit, antenna, detector, and control unit that includes a reagent tray with IC tags on short-side surfaces, allowing for quick reagent bottle replacement by determining reverse placement through communication failure with the IC tag and using a detector to confirm reagent bottle presence and direction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the reagent bottle is made with bilateral symmetry shape, then the manufacturing and handling are simplified, but the reverse placement problem occurs leading to analysis errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereagent bottle manufacturing simplicityVSAvoidanalysis result accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies asymmetry by positioning the IC tag on a specific surface of the reagent bottle (short-side surface facing the antenna) rather than making the entire bottle asymmetric. This creates a directional identification feature that prevents reverse placement while maintaining the symmetric rectangular parallelepiped shape of the bottle itself, thus preserving manufacturing simplicity while improving reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The IC tag serves as an intermediary element between the reagent bottle and the analyzer system. It provides directional information to the control unit through communication with the antenna, enabling the system to detect and correct reverse placement without requiring physical asymmetry in the bottle structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the IC tag is attached to determine reagent bottle direction, then the reverse placement can be detected, but the attachment position is restricted and overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereagent bottle direction detectionVSAvoidconfirmation overhead time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The IC tag is attached to the reagent bottle in advance during manufacturing, with the antenna position in the analyzer predetermined to communicate with the tag when the bottle is correctly oriented. This preliminary setup eliminates the need for real-time position adjustment or multiple confirmation attempts, reducing overhead time while maintaining reliable direction detection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the reagent bottle insertion direction is corrected using an actuator, then the correct insertion is achieved, but the working efficiency is degraded due to large overhead

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereagent bottle insertion correctnessVSAvoidreagent bottle insertion efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses feedback from the IC tag communication status to determine whether the reagent bottle is correctly inserted. The control unit receives communication results and can prompt the operator to correct the insertion direction, providing intelligent guidance that reduces unnecessary actuator operations and improves overall insertion efficiency while maintaining correctness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables rapid reagent bottle replacement while preventing reverse placement, improving working efficiency and test throughput by simplifying the confirmation process.

Implementation Method 1

an antenna 37 that communicates with the IC tag 29

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic communication: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 2

a detector 38 that detects the presence or absence of the reagent bottle 4

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectOptical detection: Reflection

Implementation Method 3

a housing container 33 that is cooled by a cooling machine 35

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal cooling: Cooling

Implementation Method 4

a heat insulating material 34 that covers a periphery of the housing container 33

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal insulation: Thermal Insulation

Data Source

PatentUS11953509B2Automatic analyzer

Publication Date: 2024.04.09 HITACHI HIGH TECH CORP

AI summary

The automatic analyzer includes a housing unit capable of housing a plurality of reagent bottles each of which has an IC tag on one surface of short-side side surfaces thereof, an antenna used to communicate with the IC tag, a detector that detects the presence or absence of a reagent bottles, and a control unit. The housing unit includes a housing container cooled by a cooling machine, a heat insulating material, a reagent tray provided with a plurality of reagent bottle holding portions that hold the reagent bottles, a disk rotatably holding the reagent tray, and a driving unit driving the disk, and when it is unable to communicate with the IC tag of the reagent bottle installed in the reagent bottle holding portion where the reagent bottle is detected by the detector, the control unit determines that the reagent bottle is installed in a reverse direction.