Heated Pipetting Needle Dual Sensor Temperature Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current automatic analysis devices face challenges in ensuring that liquid volumes are reliably brought to the desired delivery temperature using heated pipetting needles, leading to incorrect measurement results and resource wastage due to inadequate temperature control.
Innovation Solution
A pipetting device equipped with a first temperature sensor near the tip and a second temperature sensor further away, where the first sensor is connected to the heating device's controller, allowing for real-time temperature checks before each dispensing, ensuring the temperature is within a setpoint range, and disposing of incorrectly tempered liquid volumes if not.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single temperature sensor is used in the pipetting needle, then the device complexity is reduced, but the temperature control reliability deteriorates because individual pipetting processes deviating from target temperature are not recognized
Solution Approach 1:
The pipetting needle is divided into multiple temperature monitoring zones with at least two temperature sensors positioned at different locations. This segmentation allows independent monitoring of temperature at the needle tip and along the needle body, enabling detection of temperature deviations in specific segments without requiring complete system failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature sensors provide continuous feedback to the control unit, which compares measured temperatures with target temperature ranges. When deviations are detected, the control unit can immediately adjust the heating device or terminate the pipetting process, providing real-time feedback control to maintain temperature accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If heated pipetting needles are used to maintain reaction temperature, then the measurement precision is improved, but the loss of substance increases because incorrectly tempered liquid volumes are not detected and lead to incorrect measurement results
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature is checked before each dispensing action using temperature sensors and control unit comparison. This preliminary temperature verification ensures that only properly tempered liquid volumes are dispensed into reaction vessels, preventing waste of samples and reagents caused by temperature deviations.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit receives temperature data from sensors and provides feedback control by comparing measured temperatures with target ranges. When temperature deviations are detected, the system can terminate the pipetting process and prevent dispensing of incorrectly tempered liquids, reducing substance loss from failed measurements.
3Device complexity
If temperature monitoring is implemented only with error messages after prolonged deviations, then the device complexity is reduced, but the productivity deteriorates because all ongoing analyzes must be stopped and restarted
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple temperature sensors positioned at different locations in the pipetting needle enable localized temperature monitoring. This allows the system to identify and address temperature deviations in specific segments without requiring complete system shutdown, maintaining productivity by enabling selective continuation of unaffected analysis processes.
Solution Approach 2:
Continuous temperature feedback to the control unit enables real-time detection and response to temperature deviations. The control unit can immediately terminate only the affected pipetting process while allowing other ongoing analyzes to continue, maintaining overall system productivity rather than forcing complete system shutdown.
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
This approach significantly reduces the risk of incorrect measurement results by ensuring the reaction mixture is at the correct temperature, and allows for resource-saving termination of analyses if temperature control fails, preventing waste of samples and reagents.
Implementation Method 1
a first temperature sensor (10) at a short distance from the tip (4) of the pipetting needle (1)
Implementation Method 2
a second temperature sensor (20) at a greater distance from the tip (4) of the pipetting needle (1)
Implementation Method 3
an aspirated liquid volume is heated, so that when the liquid volume is dispensed into a reaction vessel, the desired temperature is achieved in the reaction batch
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention lies in the field of automated analytical instruments and relates to a heated pipetting device for an automated analytical instrument and a method for preparing a reaction mixture. The pipetting device comprises a pipetting needle (1) with two temperature sensors (10, 20) at different distances from the tip (4) of the pipetting needle (1).