Cell Disk Stopping Mechanism for Photometry Reproducibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic analyzing devices face a trade-off between reducing measurement time and ensuring reproducibility, as increasing the rotation speed of the cell disk to perform more photometry during the early stage of the reaction reduces reproducibility and adding multiple measuring units increases costs without practical benefits.
Innovation Solution
The device controls the cell disk to stop at a photometry position after mixing the sample and reagent, allowing for multiple photometry measurements while stopped, combining data from both stopped and rotating positions to determine the sample component's amount with improved reproducibility and reduced measurement time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the cell disk rotation speed is increased to perform photometry multiple times during early stage reaction, then measurement time is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cell disk rotation is dynamically adjusted by introducing stopping phases at specific positions during the reaction process. The disk rotates to bring cells to the photometry position, stops to allow multiple photometry measurements, then rotates again to move cells to the cleaning position. This dynamic control enables multiple measurements during early stage reaction while maintaining sufficient measurement time for each cell, resolving the contradiction between reduced measurement time and maintained reproducibility.
2Productivity
If multiple measuring units are added to increase photometry capacity, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The photometry process is segmented into multiple discrete measurement points along the cell disk rotation path. By dividing the reaction process into distinct phases (early stage, mid stage, late stage) and performing photometry at different rotational positions, the system achieves multi-point measurement capability using a single measuring unit, avoiding the need to add multiple measuring units and the associated complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the time dimension by utilizing the rotation of the cell disk to create temporal separation between measurements. Instead of adding spatial redundancy (multiple measuring units), the system uses temporal sequencing - rotating the disk to bring different cells to the photometry position at different times, enabling multiple measurements with a single measuring unit.
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 enables faster and more reproducible measurements, enhancing operational efficiency in inspection rooms by allowing for quantitation based on data from the early stage of the reaction, improving the accuracy and speed of inspections.
Implementation Method 1
the amount of light of a single wavelength or each of plural wavelengths transmitted through the sample or reaction solution is measured using a light receiving element; the absorbance of the sample or reaction solution is calculated
Data Source
AI summary
To reduce measurement time, it may be considered to quicken reaction or speed up analytic determination. In existing analyzing devices, photometry is performed, typically, about every 15 seconds, so that it has not been possible to secure satisfactory reproducibility. Namely, reducing the measurement time and securing reproducibility have not been compatible. It has therefore been desired to increase the number of times of measurements performed in a short period of time. A cell disk is controlled to stop at a position for photometry during the time after a sample and a reagent are mixed and before measurement is finished and, while the cell disk is stopped, photometry is performed once or plural times thereby increasing the total number of times of measurements.