Fixed Nozzle Automatic Analyzer With Angled Cleaning Water Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of flow paths in movable portions of liquid transport mechanisms in automatic analyzers leads to mechanism complications and increased costs, while simplifying the structure makes it difficult to provide effective cleaning mechanisms for aspiration nozzles.
Innovation Solution
The automatic analyzer incorporates a fixed-position nozzle with a cleaning water discharge port that discharges cleaning water at an angle, allowing for effective cleaning of the nozzle within a simplified cleaning tank structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flow paths are built in the movable portion of the liquid transport mechanism, then the positional relationship between pipes and containers is maintained during rotation/movement, but the arrangement of flow paths becomes complicated and the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the flow paths movable with the container holding member, the invention inverts the approach by making the flow paths fixed and the containers movable. The discharge ports are fixed relative to the reservoir, while the container holding member rotates or moves to bring containers into position under the fixed discharge ports.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into fixed components (reservoir, discharge ports, flow paths) and movable components (container holding member, containers). This segmentation allows the flow paths to remain simple and fixed while the containers are positioned as needed through movement of the holding member.
2Ease of manufacture
If the cleaning tank structure is simplified, then the mechanism is easier to manufacture, but it becomes difficult to provide a mechanism for sufficiently cleaning the aspiration nozzle
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the parameter of cleaning water discharge by using a discharge port positioned at an angle (not perpendicular) to the cleaning tank bottom. This angular discharge creates a sweeping flow pattern that effectively cleans the nozzle without requiring a complex multi-port cleaning tank structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning water acts as an intermediary that bridges the simple cleaning tank structure and the effective nozzle cleaning function. The angled discharge port directs cleaning water to sweep across the nozzle surface, mediating between the simple tank design and thorough cleaning performance.
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic analyzer includes a flow cell detector, a nozzle that is connected to the flow cell detector by a flow path and aspirates or discharges liquid, a reservoir that is provided with a table and a table driving mechanism that rotates or moves the table up and down, and a cleaning tank that is disposed on the table. A position of the nozzle is fixed, and a cleaning water discharge port discharges cleaning water used for cleaning the nozzle at an angle φ with respect to a plane perpendicular to a central axis of the nozzle. An upper part of a side wall of the cleaning tank is continuous with an upper discharge unit at a side facing a discharge outlet provided in the reservoir and a spatula-shaped part projects outward of the cleaning tank at a side facing the upper discharge unit.