Reaction Cuvette Rinsing Control for Carry-Over Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatic analyzing devices face a decrease in analytical throughput due to frequent rinsing of reaction cuvettes with a predetermined detergent, leading to carry-over issues from accumulated stains, making all cuvettes unavailable for analysis.
Innovation Solution
An automatic analyzing device that uses a special detergent with varying pH levels (acid and alkaline) for rinsing, controlled by a mechanism that extends the soaking time of the detergent in reaction cuvettes exceeding a predetermined use frequency, thereby preventing carry-over and maintaining throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If reaction cuvettes are rinsed with a predetermined detergent when use frequency exceeds a threshold, then carry-over from stains is prevented, but all cuvettes become unavailable and analytical throughput decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the reaction disk into multiple regions with different cuvette types (first type for frequent rinsing, second type for no rinsing, third type for occasional rinsing). This segmentation allows simultaneous operation of multiple cuvettes with different rinsing schedules, preventing complete unavailability while maintaining carry-over prevention for stained cuvettes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements periodic rinsing based on use frequency thresholds rather than continuous or uniform rinsing. Cuvettes are rinsed only when their specific use frequency exceeds predetermined thresholds, allowing non-stained cuvettes to remain available for continuous use and maintaining analytical throughput.
2Measurement precision
If reaction cuvettes are rinsed frequently to prevent carry-over, then measurement precision is maintained, but time loss increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the rinsing parameter from uniform frequent rinsing to conditional rinsing based on use frequency thresholds. By monitoring and comparing use frequency against predetermined thresholds, the system determines when rinsing is necessary, minimizing unnecessary rinsing operations and time loss while maintaining measurement precision when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements feedback control by monitoring the use frequency of each cuvette and automatically determining when rinsing should occur based on predetermined thresholds. This feedback mechanism ensures rinsing is performed only when necessary to maintain measurement precision, avoiding unnecessary time loss from frequent rinsing of clean cuvettes.
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
The solution effectively suppresses the decrease in analytical throughput while preventing carry-over from stains, ensuring continuous operation by optimizing the rinsing process with the special detergent.
Implementation Method 1
uses a special detergent with varying pH levels (acid and alkaline) for rinsing
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B~3
AI summary
A rinse mechanism 12 rinses reaction cuvettes 3 with first and second detergents. An R1 reagent pipetting mechanism 8 rinses the reaction cuvettes 3 that have been rinsed by the rinse mechanism 12 with a special detergent. A counting unit counts and stores in a storage unit a use frequency of each reaction cuvette 3 for a specific reagent item. A determining unit determines whether the counted use frequency exceeds a predetermined threshold N1. A control unit controls the R1 reagent pipetting mechanism 8 such that, in a case where the counted use frequency exceeds the predetermined threshold N1, the reaction cuvettes 3, which have exceeded the predetermined threshold N1, are soaked with the special detergent only for a period equal to or less than a value derived by multiplying a pipetting cycle time, which indicates a period when a sample is pipetted, by the total number of reaction cuvettes and a predetermined integer.