Automation-Compatible Capillary Collection Device for Biological Fluids
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current capillary blood collection devices are not cost-effective, practical for self-collection, and face challenges in transporting samples to laboratories, leading to laborious and error-prone processing, with compatibility issues between collection devices and testing equipment.
Innovation Solution
Development of automation-compatible collection devices with capillaries and caps that facilitate easy transport and integration with automated testing systems, enabling efficient sample collection, processing, and broader adoption of capillary blood testing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional capillary collection devices are used for self-collection and transport, then patient-centric sample collection is enabled, but the devices are not compatible with automated testing equipment and require laborious manual processing
Solution Approach 1:
The capillary collection device is designed with a universal interface that enables it to function both as a portable self-collection device for patients and as a compatible component in automated laboratory testing systems. The standardized geometry and automated decapping mechanism allow the same device to be used in both manual and automated contexts without requiring separate device variants.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is divided into distinct functional components: a capillary tube for sample collection, an automated decapping mechanism, and a standardized interface for automation equipment. This segmentation allows the collection portion to remain simple and patient-friendly while the decapping portion provides automated compatibility, resolving the contradiction between ease of self-collection and automation integration.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual sample processing is used in the laboratory, then flexibility is maintained, but the process becomes laborious, error-prone, and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The automated decapping mechanism enables the sample preparation process to serve itself without manual intervention. The device automatically removes the cap from the capillary tube when placed in the testing system, eliminating the need for laboratory personnel to manually handle and prepare each sample, thereby increasing productivity while maintaining standardized processing.
3Quantity of substance
If expensive plasma separation devices are used at the patient site, then plasma can be separated, but the devices are costly and have challenges when brought into the testing laboratory
Solution Approach 1:
The plasma separation function is extracted from complex portable devices and integrated into the laboratory's existing automated separation equipment. The capillary collection device simply collects and transports the sample, while the separation capability is provided by the laboratory's standardized equipment, eliminating the need for patients to use expensive, complex separation devices that would be incompatible with laboratory systems.
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 solution provides a convenient, efficient, and cost-effective apparatus for transporting and automating the testing of samples, improving serum or plasma separations, and enhancing the integration of capillary blood collection into clinical and business applications.
Implementation Method 1
a capillary for collecting samples from a biological location of a body
Data Source
AI summary
This application relates to an automation compatible collection device for use in collecting samples, e.g., biological fluids and other samples. In some embodiments, the collection device can include a capillary for collecting samples from a biological location of a body and a cap configured to interface with an automation device.