Contact Lens Centering via Fluid Pulse in Inspection Cell
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Solution Overview
Problem
Contact lenses often become off-centered in the concave trough of an inspection cell after swiveling back from the inspection position, leading to issues during removal and packaging, as the gripper may draw in water instead of the lens, potentially damaging vacuum sources or requiring more expensive equipment, and the lens cannot be properly aligned for packaging.
Innovation Solution
Applying a pulse of fluid, such as water, to the liquid in the inspection cell to whirl up and recenter the contact lens, allowing it to settle back into the center of the concave trough, which is then gripped and removed in a centered position using a suction gripper.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cuvette is swiveled back from the inspection position to the handling position, then the contact lens can be removed from the inspection cell, but the contact lens becomes off-centered in the concave trough
Solution Approach 1:
A pulse of fluid is periodically applied to the liquid in the concave trough to whirl up and recenter the contact lens after the cuvette is swiveled back to the handling position. This periodic fluid pulse restores the lens to the centered position, enabling subsequent gripping and removal operations to proceed correctly.
2Productivity
If a suction gripper is used to remove the contact lens from the concave trough, then the lens can be transferred to the package, but water may be drawn into the vacuum source if the lens is off-centered
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid pulse is applied as a preliminary action before the suction gripper attempts to grasp the contact lens. This pre-centering of the lens ensures that when the gripper activates suction, the lens is properly positioned and will be grasped correctly, preventing water from being drawn into the vacuum source and protecting the system's reliability.
3Ease of operation
If the contact lens is off-centered in the concave trough, then the gripper cannot properly grasp the lens, but the lens cannot be automatically recentered after swiveling
Solution Approach 1:
The contact lens automatically centers itself in the concave trough through the action of a fluid pulse. The off-centered lens is whirled up by the fluid pulse and then settles back into the centered position due to the concave geometry of the trough, eliminating the need for complex mechanical centering mechanisms while ensuring proper positioning for gripping.
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
Ensures the contact lens is properly centered for removal and packaging, preventing water from entering the vacuum source and allowing for efficient transfer to a package with minimal volume, thus avoiding contamination and damage to equipment.
Implementation Method 1
Applying a pulse of fluid, such as water, to the liquid in the inspection cell to whirl up the contact lens
Implementation Method 2
allowing the contact lens to settle back into the center of the concave trough
Implementation Method 3
suction is applied, and the gripper with the lens adhering to the attachment surface is then raised again
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
An ophthalmic lens (CL), e.g. a contact lens, is centered in a concave trough (10) of an inspection cell (1 ) which is filled with liquid (W). The inspection cell (10) has a channel (11) which is in communication with the concave trough (10). Centering of the ophthalmic lens is achieved by applying a pulse (P) of a fluid to the liquid (W) so as to whirl up the ophthalmic lens (CL) and by allowing the ophthalmic lens (CL) to settle down in the center of the concave trough (10).