Liquid Handling Device Barcode Display for Information Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current communication methods between liquid handling devices and users, such as electronic handheld pipettes, are limited by display size, resolution, and hardware constraints, and require additional costly components like NFC technology, which is not easily adaptable without altering the device's hardware.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where a liquid handling device produces and displays a machine-readable code, such as a matrix barcode, that contains status or stored information, which can be read by an external device like a smart device with a camera, allowing for context-specific information retrieval without modifying the device's hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If wireless technology like NFC is implemented for data transfer, then information transmission capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the liquid handling device's existing display as an intermediary to present machine-readable codes. Instead of adding wireless communication components, the solution mediates information transfer by converting device status into visual code format that can be captured by external devices, thus avoiding direct wireless hardware integration while achieving information transmission
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a visual copy of the device's internal status information by generating machine-readable codes on the display. This copying approach allows external devices to read and interpret device status without requiring direct hardware connectivity or wireless communication components, effectively transmitting information through a visual representation rather than direct data exchange
2Loss of information
If wireless technology like NFC is implemented for data transfer, then information transmission capability is improved, but implementation cost increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a visual copy of the device's internal status information by generating machine-readable codes on the display. This copying approach allows external devices to read and interpret device status without requiring direct hardware connectivity or wireless communication components, effectively transmitting information through a visual representation rather than direct data exchange
Solution Approach 2:
The patent leverages the existing display component for a dual purpose: its traditional function of showing operational information and an additional function of presenting machine-readable codes. This multi-functionality approach allows the same hardware component to serve multiple purposes, eliminating the need for separate wireless communication hardware and reducing implementation costs
3Loss of information
If display size and resolution are increased to show more information, then information transmission capability is improved, but device size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from linear text-based information presentation to two-dimensional machine-readable code presentation on the display. This dimensional change allows significantly more information to be encoded in a compact visual format, enabling high-information transmission without requiring increased display physical dimensions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the information encoding parameter from alphanumeric characters to machine-readable code patterns. This parameter transformation increases the information density that can be displayed within the same physical display area, allowing more comprehensive status information to be transmitted without expanding the display size
Data Source
AI summary
According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of information transmission in a system comprising at least one liquid handling device and at least one external device, the method comprising: in one or more of said at least one liquid handling device, producing a machine-readable code that contains information that is derived from a status or properties of the respective liquid handling device or information that has been stored in the respective liquid handling device; in said one or more of said at least one liquid handling device, displaying the respective code on a display that is integrated to a structure of the respective liquid handling device; reading the displayed code or one or more of the displayed codes by an external device.