Rotatable Carousel Vial Feeder for Automated Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual handling of laboratory containers, such as vials, is inefficient and prone to contamination during transfer from transport packaging to laboratory workbenches or autosamplers, especially in medium or low throughput settings, where existing automated systems are not suitable for single vial transfer.
Innovation Solution
A laboratory vial transfer device featuring a rotatable carousel with vial receiving positions that connects to the transport package, allowing for automated feeding of vials directly from the package to an exit position without manual contact, reducing the need for manual handling and minimizing contamination risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual handling is used to transfer vials from transport packaging to workbench, then flexibility and simplicity are maintained, but efficiency is low and contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device segments the transfer process into distinct functional zones: a transport package interface, a rotating carousel with multiple receiving positions, and an exit position. This segmentation allows automated handling while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure suitable for medium or low throughput environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The carousel acts as an intermediary mechanism between the transport package and the workbench/autosampler. It receives vials from the package, holds them in multiple positions during rotation, and delivers them to the exit position, thereby automating the transfer without requiring complex robotic systems.
2Productivity
If automated systems are used for high throughput vial handling, then efficiency increases, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device is designed to be universally applicable to standard transport packages while providing automated transfer functionality. The carousel can handle multiple vials in sequence, and the system can interface with different destination equipment (workbench or autosampler), providing multi-functionality without requiring overly complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The carousel provides dynamic operation by rotating to different positions to pick up and deliver vials. This dynamic movement allows the system to handle variable throughput requirements and adapt to different operational needs while maintaining a relatively simple mechanical structure.
3Reliability
If manual contact is used during vial transfer, then device complexity is minimized, but contamination risk and handling errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service automated transfer where the carousel automatically picks up vials from the transport package and delivers them to the exit position without requiring manual intervention. This eliminates the need for operators to physically handle and transfer each vial, thereby reducing contamination risk while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The carousel serves as a sterile intermediary that transfers vials without direct human contact. By positioning the carousel between the potentially contaminated manual handling zones and the clean work/analysis area, it minimizes contamination risk while keeping the automation complexity low.
Data Source
AI summary
A laboratory vial transfer device for automatically transferring laboratory vials from a transport package containing a plurality of said vials, comprising: a vial feeder configured to connect to the transport package after the package has been opened, so as to feed vials directly from the package without manual contact, wherein the vial feeder comprises a rotatable carousel having a plurality of vial receiving positions located on the carousel each for receiving a single vial and adapted to collect the vials from the opened package into respective vial receiving positions upon operation of the carousel, wherein the carousel is operable to feed the vials from their respective vial receiving positions to an exit position.