Blood Test Apparatus Color-Coded Rack Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
The inefficiency in specifying blood specimens required for retesting after automatic testing, due to the lack of visual distinction among blood collecting tubes with similar external appearances, leading to increased user burden and potential measurement errors.
Innovation Solution
A blood test apparatus with racks of different colors, where the result screen displays regions corresponding to each rack, with symbols changing based on test results, allowing users to visually identify specimens for retesting by matching rack colors and symbols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple blood collecting tubes are stored in racks with similar external appearances, then the apparatus can efficiently manage and process multiple specimens, but the user burden increases and specification efficiency decreases when identifying tubes for retesting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making each rack have a distinct color (first rack: first color, second rack: second color, etc.) while maintaining the same basic rack structure and function. This allows users to quickly identify specific racks for retesting by color without changing the fundamental rack design, thus improving specification efficiency while keeping the system manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent directly implements color changes by assigning different colors to different racks (first rack with first color, second rack with second color, third rack with third color, fourth rack with fourth color). The display unit also shows color-coded information corresponding to each rack. This visual differentiation enables users to rapidly identify which racks contain specimens requiring retesting, significantly reducing the time and effort needed for specification while maintaining efficient specimen management.
2Reliability
If blood collecting tubes are stored in racks without visual differentiation, then the apparatus structure remains simple, but measurement errors increase due to difficulty in identifying specimens for retesting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making each rack have a distinct color (first rack: first color, second rack: second color, etc.) while maintaining the same basic rack structure and function. This allows users to quickly identify specific racks for retesting by color without changing the fundamental rack design, thus improving specification efficiency while keeping the system manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent directly implements color changes by assigning different colors to different racks (first rack with first color, second rack with second color, third rack with third color, fourth rack with fourth color). The display unit also shows color-coded information corresponding to each rack. This visual differentiation enables users to rapidly identify which racks contain specimens requiring retesting, significantly reducing the time and effort needed for specification while maintaining efficient specimen management.
3Loss of information
If the display shows detailed information for each blood collecting tube, then complete test results are provided, but the display complexity and information processing burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the most essential information for retesting decisions and presents it in a simplified format. The display unit shows color-coded rack information and basic test result status, allowing users to quickly identify which racks need retesting without being overwhelmed by detailed data. Full test results are available in the storage unit for reference when needed, but the primary display focuses on actionable information.
Solution Approach 2:
The display unit provides immediate visual feedback about test results by showing color-coded information corresponding to each rack. This feedback mechanism allows users to quickly understand which racks contain specimens requiring retesting without complex information processing, reducing cognitive burden while maintaining complete information availability in the system.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
A first rack (21) of a first color and a second rack (22) of a second color respectively hold blood collecting tubes (10). After a test is finished, the first rack (21) and the second rack (22) are disposed at a carrying-out section (4). A result screen (51) showing a result of the test includes a first region (511) of the first color and a second region (512) of the second color. The first region (511) and the second region (512) are displayed in positions corresponding to positions of the first rack (21) and the second rack (22) in the carrying-out section (4). First symbols (511a) are displayed in the first region (511) at positions corresponding to positions of the blood collecting tubes (10) held in the first rack (21). Second symbols (512a) are displayed in the second region (512) at positions corresponding to positions of the blood collecting tubes (10) held in the second rack (22). A displayed appearance of each of the first symbols (511a) and the second symbols (512a) is changed in accordance with the result of the test.