Electronic Liquid Dosing Logs for Routine Validation and Traceability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing laboratory dosing systems inadequately track and validate work routines, leading to incomplete quality management and traceability of samples and liquids produced, making it difficult to ensure compliance and comparability between samples generated using identical routines.

Innovation Solution

An electronic laboratory dosing system that comprehensively records and logs operating data and context parameter data, allowing for real-time comparison with target specifications, and stores these as extended log data sets for retrospective validation and analysis, enabling improved quality management and comparability of samples and liquids.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If comprehensive data recording and comparison systems are implemented, then quality management and traceability are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequality managementVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a data processing system as an intermediary between the dosing device and the quality management processes. This intermediary handles the complex tasks of data recording, storage, and comparison with target specifications, allowing the dosing device itself to remain relatively simple while achieving comprehensive quality management through the mediating system that processes and validates the recorded data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If comprehensive operating data and context parameter data are recorded and stored, then traceability of samples and liquids is improved, but loss of time for data processing increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovetraceabilityVSAvoiddata processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically recording and storing both operating data and context parameter data during the dosing process itself, rather than requiring subsequent manual data collection. The data is immediately compared with target specifications and validation results are generated in real-time or near real-time, eliminating the need for time-consuming post-processing and enabling immediate traceability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If automatic validation and comparison systems are implemented, then work routine validation is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvework routine validationVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where recorded operating data and context parameter data are automatically compared with pre-defined target specifications. The system provides feedback in the form of validation results that indicate whether work routines were executed correctly. This automated feedback loop improves work routine validation by continuously monitoring and comparing actual performance against targets, reducing the need for complex manual validation procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3539665B2Electronic laboratory dosing system for liquids and method for operating an electronic laboratory dosing system for liquids
Publication Date: 2024.12.18 EPPENDORF AG
  • EP3539665B2 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3539665B2 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The invention relates to an electronic laboratory dosing system for liquids comprising at least one electric hand-held dosing device (2) which has at least one operating sensor unit (5) that detects the operation of the hand-held dosing device (2) and generates related operating data and, in particular, stores it in a storage device (6) of the hand-held dosing device (2), wherein the hand-held dosing device (2) has an interface module (7) with which the hand-held dosing device (2) can be connected to an external network access device (4) via a data connection, in particular for the transmission of the operating data, wherein the network access device (4) can be connected to an external data processing system (3) via a data connection.wherein the data processing system (3) is data-technically connectable to at least one context parameter sensor unit (8) which at least indirectly records the operation of the hand-held dosing device (2) and/or the operating environmental conditions of the hand-held dosing device (2) and generates context parameter data therefrom, wherein the dosing system (1), in particular the data processing system (3), has a comparison unit (9) which is set up at least for comparing operating data of the operating sensor unit (5) with target operating data and/or context parameter data of the context parameter sensor unit (8) with target context parameter data and for generating a comparison result, in particular a deviation of the data from the target data identified within the scope of the comparison, wherein the dosing system (1) includes a documentation unit (10) which is used for generating and storing log data records relating to the operation of the at least one hand-held dosing device (2),in particular comprehensively at least the operating data and/or the context parameter data, wherein the documentation unit (10) is connected to the comparison unit (9) in such a way that the comparison results of the comparison unit (9) can be transmitted to the documentation unit (10) and the documentation unit (10) is configured to store the comparison results as part of the log data records, in particular to assign them to the respective operating data and/or context parameter data, in particular to supplement them after the end of operation of the manual dosing device (2).