Lateral Flow Drug Test Device Groove Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drug testing devices face issues with flooding of test strips and inadequate specimen absorption, leading to unreliable results, especially when dealing with limited specimen volumes and requiring specific submersion times.
Innovation Solution
A novel drug testing device featuring a transparent carrier with parallel grooves and a cover layer that allows controlled ingress of the specimen through specific openings, eliminating the need for submersion time and preventing flooding, while ensuring adequate specimen engagement with test strips.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If test strips are submerged in liquid specimen, then specimen absorption occurs, but flooding of test strips occurs leading to unreliable results
Solution Approach 1:
The device divides the specimen contact area into multiple separate grooves, each containing a test strip. The specimen is distributed across multiple discrete contact points rather than flooding the entire test strip surface, ensuring controlled absorption without overwhelming the reagent areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The grooves are positioned to provide localized specimen contact at specific areas of the test strips. This ensures that specimen reaches the absorbent areas while preventing uncontrolled flooding of the reagent-containing regions, maintaining test reliability.
2Ease of operation
If specimen volume is limited, then device portability and ease of use improve, but adequate specimen absorption becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple grooves are provided in the device, allowing the limited specimen volume to be distributed across multiple test strips simultaneously. This segmentation enables efficient use of small specimen volumes while maintaining adequate absorption for reliable testing.
Solution Approach 2:
The device allows partial submersion in specimen, where only the necessary portions of the test strips in the grooves need to contact the specimen. This partial action is sufficient to achieve adequate absorption without requiring excessive specimen volume.
3Reliability
If separate compartments are used to limit specimen contact, then test strip flooding is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The grooves serve multiple functions: they act as specimen reservoirs, guide specimen flow, provide structural support for test strips, and define contact areas. This multi-functionality prevents flooding without adding separate complex compartment structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The device utilizes a simple tray structure with grooves formed in the bottom surface, rather than complex three-dimensional compartments. This thin-film approach achieves specimen limitation while maintaining device simplicity and ease of manufacture.
4Quantity of substance
If test strips are placed horizontally, then specimen distribution is improved, but device size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of arranging test strips horizontally in a plane, the device uses vertical grooves extending from the bottom surface. This dimensional change allows specimen to flow vertically through the grooves and contact test strips in a compact configuration, achieving good distribution without increased device footprint.
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 device provides accurate and reliable test results with minimal specimen volume, eliminating flooding and the need for precise submersion times, making it user-friendly and economical.
Implementation Method 1
employ a vertical surface in a urine collection cup having a wicking membrane disposed thereon so that the wicking membrane conveys urine from the bottom of the cup to the absorbent sample pads of the test strips located at the top of the vertical surface via capillary action
Implementation Method 2
When the absorbent sample pad contacts urine, the urine will wick through the conjugate pad to the reagent
Implementation Method 3
the urine will wick through the conjugate pad
Data Source
AI summary
A versatile drug testing device (a lateral flow diagnostic testing device) includes a flat transparent carrier with a top and a bottom with the carrier having a series of independent parallel grooves formed therein running from adjacent to the top to adjacent to the bottom of the carrier, each groove having a first opening and a second opening above the first opening therein adjacent to the bottom of the carrier, at least one drug test strip installed in one of said grooves with its absorbent pad contiguous to the openings and a cover layer attached to the carrier operable to sealing close each of said grooves whereby the bottom of the device can be immersed in a specimen of urine, body fluid, or other biological specimen to wet the pad of the at least one test strip though the ingress of the specimen though the associated openings and the test results on the test strip can be easily viewed through the transparent carrier. Because of the unique construction the device will give accurate reading if temporarily immersed in the specimen or left in the specimen for an extended period of time, making it very user friendly.