Automated 3D Cell Structure Production via Pneumatic Suction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods face difficulties in automatically inserting needle-shaped bodies into cell masses due to size discrepancies, making it challenging to produce three-dimensional structural bodies of cells for medical applications.
Innovation Solution
A device equipped with an accommodating plate, a support body with needle-shaped bodies, a suction nozzle connected to negative pressure means, and control mechanisms to automatically position and insert the needle-shaped bodies into cell masses, ensuring precise alignment and insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manual work is performed using a pipette, robot arm, and tweezers to stick needle-shaped bodies into cell masses, then the operation can be performed with existing tools, but the work is very difficult due to size discrepancies between the small needle-shaped bodies (several tens μm) and larger cell masses (several hundreds μm)
Solution Approach 1:
The suction nozzle serves as an intermediary tool between the operator and the cell mass. It uses negative pressure to adsorb and hold the cell mass, providing stable control during the insertion process. This mediator overcomes the difficulty of directly manipulating small needle-shaped bodies into larger cell masses with conventional tools like tweezers or robot arms.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs negative pressure (suction) generated by a vacuum source to adsorb and hold the cell mass on the suction nozzle. This pneumatic mechanism provides reliable positioning and control of the cell mass during the insertion operation, solving the problem of difficult manual manipulation due to size discrepancies.
2Productivity
If automated insertion is implemented, then productivity and precision are improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for specialized suction nozzles, negative pressure generating means, and control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The suction nozzle automatically adsorbs and releases the cell mass through negative pressure control, eliminating the need for complex mechanical manipulation systems. The system uses simple pneumatic control to achieve automated insertion, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention controls the negative pressure parameter to achieve different states: adsorption during insertion and release after insertion. By simply changing the pressure parameter, the system automates the insertion process without requiring complex mechanical structures, thus improving productivity while limiting device complexity increase.
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
Enables the reliable and automated production of three-dimensional structural bodies by accurately holding and inserting needle-shaped bodies into cell masses, overcoming the manual dexterity limitations of previous methods.
Implementation Method 1
a suction nozzle for adsorbing/holding the cell mass by being connected to negative pressure generating means
Data Source
AI summary
A device 2 for producing a three-dimensional structural body has an accommodating plate 3 in which an accommodating recess portion 3a for accommodating a cell mass 1 is formed, a support body 4 provided with a plurality of needle-shaped bodies 6 penetrating the cell mass, a suction nozzle 19 for adsorbing/holding the cell mass, and structure 20 for moving the suction nozzle.