Electronic Pipette Thumb Wheel Interface and Spherical Piston Drive
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipettes face challenges with inaccurate liquid aspiration and dispensation due to angular displacement of piston drive mechanism components, and their user interfaces are cumbersome, particularly when operating in electronic mode or requiring complex parameter settings, often necessitating the use of both hands and small, difficult-to-use controls.
Innovation Solution
A programmable electronic pipette with a thumb wheel-based user interface that allows rotational and translational motion to navigate and select menu items, coupled with a microprocessor to control the piston drive mechanism, and the ability to communicate with external computing devices for simplified operation and programming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a motor controls the piston assembly for electronic operation, then automation and precision are improved, but angular displacement of components causes longitudinal shift and reduces aspiration/dispensation accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The control rod tip is formed with a spherical surface that contacts the piston contact plate. This spherical geometry allows the control rod to accommodate angular displacement while maintaining consistent longitudinal contact, preventing unwanted linear shifts and ensuring accurate liquid handling volumes even when the control rod angles relative to the piston assembly.
2Weight of moving object
If small display and controls are used to maintain portability, then device size and weight are reduced, but ease of operation deteriorates requiring both hands
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple control functions (menu navigation, parameter selection, value adjustment, and confirmation) are merged into a single thumb wheel component. Rotational motion navigates between options while translational motion selects and adjusts values, consolidating what would traditionally require multiple buttons and switches into one easily operable element.
Solution Approach 2:
The thumb wheel serves multiple functions: it acts as a directional control for menu navigation, a selection mechanism for choosing parameters, an adjustment control for modifying values, and a confirmation button. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate controls, enabling single-handed operation while maintaining a compact form factor.
3Adaptability or versatility
If complex operational modes are added to increase functionality, then versatility is improved, but device complexity and difficulty of programming increase
Solution Approach 1:
A computer acts as an intermediary device for programming complex operational sequences. The thumb wheel interface on the pipette itself remains simple for basic operations, while sophisticated multi-step programs can be developed and stored on an external computer, which then communicates instructions to the pipette's microprocessor. This separates the complexity of program creation from the simplicity of device operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system controls aspiration and dispensation of a liquid in a pipette. The system includes a computing device and the pipette. The computing device includes a pipetting module and a first communication interface. The pipetting module defines an operation to perform at the pipette. The first communication interface sends electronic signals to the pipette, the electronic signals defining the operation to perform at the pipette. The pipette includes a sampling tube, a piston assembly, a piston drive mechanism, a second communication interface, and a microprocessor. The piston assembly mounts to the sampling tube and includes a piston rod that fits within the sampling tube. The piston drive mechanism includes a control rod having a surface that contacts the piston assembly. The piston drive mechanism moves the piston rod of the piston assembly within the sampling tube thereby causing regulation of a liquid in the sampling tube. The second communication interface receives the electronic signals from the computing device. The microprocessor controls the piston drive mechanism and performs the operation defined by the electronic signals.