Liquid Processing System with Curved Blade Cell Scraper
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid processing systems for biological materials are complex and costly due to the need for dedicated equipment and robot-specific consumables, making them difficult to reproduce and maintain, especially when handling hazardous materials like cell cultures.
Innovation Solution
A liquid processing system comprising a trunk, two arms with multiple degrees of freedom, and a driving mechanism that operates within a defined workspace, allowing for precise handling and processing of cell suspensions using general-purpose physiochemical equipment, including a cell scraper with a flexible blade, to collect and prepare cell suspensions efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If dedicated equipment and robot-specific consumables are used for automated liquid processing, then automation capability and handling precision are improved, but device complexity and running costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robot arm is designed to perform multiple functions including holding culture vessels, operating cell scrapers, and manipulating various lab equipment using standard robot hands and tools rather than dedicated end-effectors for each task
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses standard, widely-available laboratory equipment and robot-compatible tools that can be easily replaced or adjusted without requiring specialized proprietary components, allowing the system to serve itself through standardization
2Extent of automation
If dedicated equipment and robot-specific consumables are used for automated liquid processing, then automation capability and handling precision are improved, but running costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs disposable, standard laboratory consumables such as culture vessels and cell scrapers that are inexpensive and widely available, rather than expensive proprietary robot-specific consumables, reducing running costs while maintaining automation
Solution Approach 2:
Standard robot hands and tools are used that can manipulate various types of laboratory equipment and consumables, allowing a single automated system to handle multiple tasks without requiring expensive specialized components for each function
3Productivity
If the blade moves in a straight line across the culture face, then processing speed is improved, but cell scraping completeness and specimen quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The blade follows a curved trajectory that arcs across the culture face rather than moving in a straight line, allowing the blade to maintain optimal contact angle and pressure with the curved surface of the culture vessel, ensuring complete cell scraping while maintaining efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The blade's motion is dynamically adjusted with rotational movement and variable speed along the curved path, allowing the system to adapt to the geometry of the culture face and optimize both scraping effectiveness and processing speed
4Measurement precision
If the culture vessel is held stationary during cell scraping, then positioning precision is improved, but cell suspension collection efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The culture vessel is dynamically tilted at controlled angles during the scraping process, causing the cell suspension to flow toward the blade's path and improving collection efficiency, while the system maintains sufficient positioning precision through active control
Solution Approach 2:
The culture vessel is pre-positioned and then tilted to an optimal angle before the blade begins its curved motion, allowing the cell suspension to naturally concentrate in the collection area, improving both precision and efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A method of processing liquid biological material includes providing a liquid processing system. The liquid processing system includes a trunk, a first arm, a second arm, a driving mechanism, and physiochemical equipment. The first arm includes a first robot hand. The second arm includes a second robot hand. A process is performed on a cell suspension in which periphytic cultured cells are suspended as a liquid biological material. In the process, a culture vessel is held with the first robot hand in a state with an open top of the culture vessel facing upwards. The culture vessel has a culture face where the cultured cells are cultured on a base thereof. A cell scraper is held with the second robot hand. The cell scraper is provided with a blade to scrape the cultured cells from the culture face.