Cholesterol Measurement Cartridge with Movable Membrane Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cholesterol measurement apparatuses face issues with dead volume, non-uniform serum distribution, and inefficient process separation due to fluid flow and consecutive reactions, leading to inaccurate measurements and increased user inconvenience.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a cartridge having a lamination membrane structure, where the upper case with sample transferring membranes is movably coupled to a lower case with sample measuring membranes, allowing for precise alignment and contact to transfer serum directly to reaction membranes, reducing fluid loss and enabling active control of consecutive reactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a spreading membrane is used as a moving path for fluid transfer, then serum can be transferred from the filtering membrane to reaction membranes, but dead volume occurs and fluid is lost due to absorption and spreading
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the spreading membrane component that causes dead volume and fluid absorption. Instead of using a spreading membrane as the fluid transfer path, the invention directly connects the filtering membrane to reaction membranes through optimized fluid channels, eliminating the source of fluid loss while maintaining serum transfer functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces optimized fluid channels as intermediaries between the filtering membrane and reaction membranes. These channels serve as efficient mediators for serum transfer without the absorption and spreading issues of traditional membranes, reducing dead volume and improving fluid transfer efficiency
2Device complexity
If membranes are positioned at fixed positions in the cartridge, then the structure is simple, but serum distribution becomes non-uniform and measurement accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention makes the cartridge structure dynamic by enabling horizontal movement of the lower case relative to the upper case. This dynamic adjustment allows precise positioning of reaction membranes under the filtering membrane, ensuring uniform serum distribution across all reaction sites while maintaining structural simplicity through controlled movement mechanisms
3Ease of operation
If blood is injected into the cartridge before insertion, then the operation is simple, but a large amount of blood is required and fluid loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention separates the blood injection operation from the cartridge structure by using a reusable blood collection device that can be applied to multiple cartridges. This copying approach allows minimal blood to be injected into each cartridge while maintaining ease of operation, as the collection device can be reused across multiple testing instances
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 minimizes fluid loss, ensures uniform serum distribution, and enhances measurement precision by allowing precise control over membrane contact and reaction steps, enabling accurate measurement of cholesterol levels using a small amount of blood.
Implementation Method 1
light is projected onto the reaction membranes 3b by an optical unit (LED, PD), thereby checking a color-development reaction of the reaction membranes 3b
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for effectively measuring cholesterol using a small amount of blood. The apparatus for measuring cholesterol includes a cartridge where an upper case having a sample transferring membrane is movably coupled to a lower case having a sample measuring membrane; a cartridge accommodation unit configured to accommodate the cartridge therein; a memory configured to store therein setting information for sample measurement; and a controller configured to align the membranes of the upper case and the lower case with each other, by horizontally moving the lower case of the cartridge, according to the stored setting information, and configured to contact the membranes of the upper case and the lower case with each other, by vertically moving the upper case for sample transfer on each alignment position.