Automated Analyzer Stirring Bar Cleaning Range Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated analyzers face contamination issues due to the adhesion of liquid on stirring bars and probes, leading to incorrect analysis results, as the constant cleaning range fails to effectively address deposits on the boundaries between immersed and non-immersed parts.
Innovation Solution
The automated analyzer employs a control unit to dynamically adjust the cleaning range of stirring bars and probes based on whether they are used in a cycle, setting a narrower range when in use and a wider range when not in use to minimize contamination and improve cleaning efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the stirring bar is cleaned by immersing into a cleaning liquid with a fixed range, then the cleaning process is simple and quick, but contaminated deposits accumulate on the boundary between immersed and non-immersed parts
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning liquid immersion range is made dynamic rather than fixed. The control unit adjusts the immersion range based on whether the stirring bar will be used in the next cycle. When not used, the immersion range is expanded to a wider range to thoroughly clean boundary areas and prevent deposit accumulation. When used, the immersion range is reduced to a narrower range to save time. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between cleaning speed and cleaning completeness.
2Manufacturing precision
If the cleaning range is expanded to prevent contaminated deposits, then cleaning completeness improves, but the cleaning process takes more time and reduces efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the cleaning liquid immersion range based on operational conditions. When the stirring bar is not used in the next cycle, the immersion range is expanded to ensure thorough cleaning of boundary areas. When the stirring bar is used, the immersion range is reduced to minimize cleaning time. This conditional dynamic adjustment optimizes the balance between cleaning completeness and cleaning efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit determines in advance whether the stirring bar will be used in the next cycle before adjusting the cleaning range. This preliminary determination allows the system to prepare the appropriate cleaning range beforehand, ensuring that when the stirring bar is not used, the wider cleaning range is already in place to prevent deposit accumulation, while when used, the narrower range is prepared to maintain efficiency.
3Manufacturing precision
If the stirring bar is cleaned with a wider range, then contaminated deposits are reduced, but cleaning liquid may mix with reaction samples causing incorrect analysis
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning liquid immersion range is dynamically adjusted based on whether the stirring bar will be used in the next cycle. When the stirring bar is not used, the immersion range is expanded to ensure thorough cleaning. When the stirring bar is used, the immersion range is reduced to prevent cleaning liquid from mixing with reaction samples. This dynamic control simultaneously achieves cleaning completeness and analysis accuracy.
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
This approach reduces contaminated deposits on stirring bars and probes, enhancing analysis accuracy by ensuring thorough cleaning and minimizing the mixing of cleaning liquids with reaction samples, thereby improving measurement reliability.
Implementation Method 1
The stirring of the specimen and the reagent by the stirring bar causes the adhesion of liquid on the stirring bar
Data Source
AI summary
An automated analyzer including: a stirring part provided with a stirring bar; a cleaning part that cleans the stirring bar; and a control unit that controls the stirring part and the cleaning part, when the control unit causes the stirring part to stir a liquid containing a specimen in a second cycle subsequent to a first cycle, the control unit performing first processing that sets a range of the stirring bar to be cleaned in the second cycle as a cleaning range R2, and when the control unit does not cause the stirring part to stir the liquid in the second cycle, the control unit performing second processing that sets a range of the stirring bar to be cleaned in at least one of the first cycle and the second cycle as a cleaning range R4 that is wider than the cleaning range R2.