Automatic Analyzer Specimen Screening to Prevent Probe Carryover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic analyzers face issues with reduced inspection efficiency and reliability due to the risk of carryover and probe contact with specimen containers having smaller diameters, leading to decreased usability and potential contamination.
Innovation Solution
An automatic analyzer that includes an image obtaining unit to capture specimen container images, a specifying unit to determine the distance to the liquid surface and container type, a storing unit to set thresholds based on container type, and a determining unit to control specimen dispensation based on these parameters, thereby reducing the risk of contamination and improving efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a specimen container with a smaller diameter is used, then the inspection efficiency is improved and more container types can be used, but the risk of probe contact with the container wall increases causing carryover contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary image capture and analysis of the specimen container before dispensing. The image obtaining unit captures an image of the container, the specifying unit identifies container type and diameter, and the determining unit pre-determines whether the container is suitable for the analysis module based on stored threshold values. This preliminary assessment prevents carryover contamination by identifying incompatible containers before the dispensing process begins, while still allowing use of various container types to maintain inspection efficiency.
2Manufacturing precision
If the probe is lowered closer to the liquid surface to improve dispensing precision, then the risk of contact with adhering specimen on the container wall increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses image feedback to assess the specimen container characteristics before dispensing. The image obtaining unit captures visual information about the container, and the specifying unit processes this information to determine container type and diameter. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adjust or reject dispensing operations based on container suitability, preventing the harmful effect of probe contact with adhering specimen while maintaining dispensing precision for compatible containers.
3Reliability
If strict container type restrictions are imposed to prevent carryover, then reliability is improved, but the number of usable container types decreases reducing inspection efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses image processing to objectively measure container parameters such as diameter and compare them against stored threshold values for different analysis modules. This parameter-based approach replaces strict categorical restrictions with quantitative assessment, allowing flexible determination of container suitability. The specifying unit extracts dimensional parameters from images, and the determining unit compares these parameters against module-specific thresholds, enabling reliable dispensing across various container types without imposing unnecessary restrictions.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an automatic analyzer that dispenses a specimen only if it is determined to be in an appropriate state for use in inspection at an early stage. It includes an image obtaining unit that obtains an image of a specimen container, a specifying unit that specifies distance information from an opening of the specimen container to a liquid surface of the specimen and information of a type or a diameter of the specimen container from the image, a storing unit that stores a threshold for the distance corresponding to the type of the specimen container, and a determining unit that determines whether or not to dispense the specimen whose image has been obtained, according to the distance specified by the specifying unit and the threshold stored in the storing unit.