Interleaved Vacuum Extraction in Multi-Plate Chemical Synthesis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Chemical synthesizer systems with multiple synthesis plates face significant processing time challenges due to the sequential execution of vacuum and delivery instructions, resulting in prolonged processing times when handling two plates, which can take almost twice as long as processing a single plate.
Innovation Solution
Interleaving vacuum instructions with delivery instructions, allowing the vacuum assembly to draw reagents from one plate while the delivery assembly delivers reagents to another plate, thereby parallel processing and reducing overall processing time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If vacuum instructions and delivery instructions are executed sequentially, then the controller can process instructions in a simple linear manner, but the processing time for multiple synthesis plates increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The instruction queue is segmented into separate vacuum instruction queue and delivery instruction queue. This segmentation allows independent processing of vacuum and delivery operations, enabling parallel execution and reducing overall processing time for multiple synthesis plates.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from sequential single-dimensional instruction processing to parallel multi-dimensional processing by creating separate queues for vacuum and delivery instructions. This dimensional change in instruction processing architecture enables simultaneous execution of multiple operations.
2Productivity
If the controller executes up to two commands per time slice, then processing efficiency is improved, but the total processing time for 800,000 instructions across two plates still doubles to approximately 15 hours
Solution Approach 1:
The separate vacuum and delivery instruction queues enable continuous useful action by eliminating idle waiting time. While one operation (vacuum or delivery) is executing, the other can be prepared or executed in parallel, ensuring that equipment and controllers are continuously productive without sequential bottlenecks.
Solution Approach 2:
Instructions are pre-processed and organized into separate vacuum and delivery queues before execution. This preliminary organization allows the controller to efficiently manage and execute instructions in parallel, reducing overall processing time by avoiding sequential bottlenecks during runtime.
3Loss of time
If vacuum instructions are moved to a separate queue for parallel execution, then processing time is reduced, but the device complexity increases due to multiple instruction queues
Solution Approach 1:
The controller is designed with universal multi-functionality to manage multiple instruction queues (vacuum queue and delivery queue) simultaneously. This multi-functional capability allows the same controller hardware to handle complex parallel instruction processing without requiring additional dedicated controllers for each function.
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 effectively reduces the processing time for two synthesis plates to approximately the same time required for processing a single plate, doubling the processing rate and significantly improving efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the vacuum assembly draws the reagent delivered by the delivery assembly through the plurality of wells included in each of the plurality of synthesis plates
Data Source
AI summary
Chemical synthesizer systems and methods for operating the same. One method includes receiving a first queue of instructions including a plurality of delivery instructions for operating a delivery assembly with respect to a plurality of synthesis plates and a plurality of vacuum instructions, grouped in a plurality of vacuum sections, for operating a vacuum assembly with respect to the plurality of synthesis plates. The method also includes sequentially processing each instruction included in the first queue of instructions by (i) executing the instruction when the instruction is one of the plurality of delivery instructions and (ii) moving, when the instruction is one of the plurality of vacuum instructions, one of the plurality of vacuum sections including the instruction to a second queue of instructions and executing instructions included in the second queue of instruction in parallel with instructions included in the first queue of instructions.