Auto-aligning Cable Sensor for Bioreactor Measurement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Invasive and non-invasive sensors in bioreactors face challenges with calibration and alignment due to manufacturing deviations and high-throughput automated systems, requiring a solution for consistent and accurate measurements without compromising sealing integrity or ease of manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
An auto-aligning cable sensor with an elastically deformable coupling member that accommodates misalignment and mis-spacing by deforming under a pressing force, allowing the sensor to automatically align with the vessel surface, ensuring accurate and repeatable measurements without additional components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If non-invasive probes are located outside the vessel, then cross-contamination risk is reduced, but angular alignment and spacing consistency becomes difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The cable is made flexibly deformable, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position and angle under pressing force. This enables the end sensor to automatically align with the vessel surface despite initial misalignment, resolving the contradiction between measurement consistency and alignment difficulty
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the cable is changed from rigid to elastically deformable, allowing it to change its geometric parameters (angle, position) in response to pressing force. This parameter change enables automatic alignment while maintaining measurement consistency
2Reliability
If sensors are made tolerant to moisture and sealing integrity is maintained, then sensor reliability improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cable is designed as a flexible, moisture-tolerant structure that can be simply manufactured while maintaining sealing integrity. The flexibility allows it to conform to the vessel surface without requiring complex sealing mechanisms, resolving the contradiction between reliability and manufacturing simplicity
3Ease of manufacture
If manufacturing tolerances are relaxed for the vessel and mounting fixture, then ease of manufacture improves, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible cable performs self-alignment by deforming under pressing force to compensate for manufacturing tolerances in the vessel and mounting fixture. This self-service mechanism maintains measurement precision while allowing relaxed manufacturing tolerances, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and measurement precision
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
The auto-aligning cable sensor enables faster and more accurate measurements by correcting angular misalignment and spacing issues, improving measurement consistency and sealing integrity, while being tolerant to manufacturing tolerances and easy to manufacture.
Implementation Method 1
an elastically deformable coupling member which is arranged to mediate transfer of the pressing force from the mounting fixture to the cable and thence to the end sensor when the mounting fixture and the vessel are moved into the measurement position, the coupling member deforming under the pressing force
Data Source
AI summary
An auto-aligning cable sensor for performing measurements on a medium contained in a vessel is provided. The cable sensor includes a cable which has an end sensor and which is adapted to be carried by a mounting fixture. The mounting fixture and the vessel are movable into a measurement position relative to each other such that a contact face of the end sensor is held in alignment against a surface of the vessel by a pressing force, thereby enabling the end sensor to sense a characteristic of the medium contained in the vessel. The cable sensor further includes an elastically deformable coupling member which is arranged to mediate transfer of the pressing force from the mounting fixture to the cable and thence to the end sensor when the mounting fixture and the vessel are moved into the measurement position. The coupling member deforms under the pressing force such that the cable can flex to tilt the end sensor relative to the surface of the vessel to accommodate misalignment of the contact face and the surface of the vessel.