Extendable Sample Tray Assembly for Medical Diagnostic Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical diagnostic devices face challenges in maintaining the cleanliness and integrity of calibration units, and often require a large footprint due to bulky designs, which can lead to contamination and inaccurate results.
Innovation Solution
An assembly featuring an extendable sample tray with a coupled holding unit for a calibration marker, where the tray and unit are arranged in the same plane to be within the image capturing unit's field of view, and the unit is rollable into a casing to avoid contact with samples, using a motorized or manual trigger for extension/retraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the calibration unit is placed within easy access for manual handling, then ease of operation is improved, but the risk of contamination from sample spillage increases and measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The calibration unit is extracted from the main device body and placed on a separate extendable sample tray. This physical separation allows the calibration unit to be positioned in a dedicated holding unit that is automatically rolled into the field of view, eliminating manual handling and preventing contamination from sample spillage while maintaining ease of operation through automated positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
An automated rolling mechanism acts as an intermediary between the calibration unit and the image capturing unit. The holding unit with the calibration marker is automatically rolled into position using a roller unit, eliminating direct human contact and reducing contamination risk while ensuring precise positioning for accurate measurements.
2Area of stationary object
If the device is designed with all components integrated in a compact form, then device footprint is reduced, but the complexity of positioning and aligning components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sample tray is designed to be extendable rather than fixed, allowing it to move between retracted and extended positions. This dynamic configuration enables the calibration unit to be positioned in the field of view only when needed, reducing the device footprint when retracted while maintaining positioning accuracy when extended, without requiring complex positioning mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding unit containing the calibration marker is nested within the extendable sample tray structure. When the tray is retracted, the holding unit is also retracted into the device body, minimizing the overall footprint. When the tray is extended, the holding unit automatically positions itself in the field of view, achieving compact storage without complex positioning mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
An assembly for use in a medical diagnostic device and system for analysis of one or more samples is disclosed. In one aspect of the invention, the assembly includes at least one extendable sample tray configured to hold the one or more samples. Additionally, the assembly includes at lease one holding unit coupled to the at least one extendable sample tray, wherein the holding unit is configured to hold a calibration marker. Furthermore, the extendable sample tray and the holding unit are arranged in the same plane and when the extendable sample tray is extended, the at least one holding unit is brought in a field of view of an image capturing unit.