Automated Microbiology Sample Carrier Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual operations and sample transfers in clinical microbiology laboratories lead to risks of operator error and contamination, hindering efficient antimicrobial susceptibility testing and increasing adverse effects.
Innovation Solution
The development of specialized carriers with features such as raised stage spaces, alignment protrusions, and identifying information scanning capabilities to streamline sample handling and reduce errors, facilitating automated processes and minimizing contamination risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual operations and sample transfers are used in clinical microbiology laboratories, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but operator errors and contamination risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an automated sample carrier system that acts as an intermediary between manual sample collection and automated testing equipment. The carrier includes standardized receptacles for sample tubes and panels, with machine-readable identifiers that enable automated tracking and verification, reducing manual handling errors while maintaining workflow flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The sample carrier is divided into multiple specialized receptacles and compartments designed to hold specific sample types (tubes, panels, swabs) in standardized positions. This segmentation enables automated systems to efficiently locate and process each sample type while maintaining organized workflow separation between different testing stages.
2Productivity
If multiple manual sample transfers between automated stations are performed, then comprehensive testing can be conducted, but contamination risks and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sample containers (tubes, panels, swabs) and their identifiers into a single integrated carrier unit. This merging allows the entire sample set to be transferred as one unit between testing stations, reducing the number of separate transfer operations and minimizing contamination opportunities while maintaining comprehensive testing capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
Sample identifiers (barcodes, RFID tags) are pre-attached to both the carrier and individual sample containers before processing begins. This preliminary action enables automated systems to verify sample identities and track samples throughout the workflow without requiring manual intervention, reducing errors and contamination risks during transfer operations.
3Measurement precision
If sample identifiers are manually verified, then sample accuracy can be confirmed, but processing time and labor requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual verification of sample identifiers with automated optical scanning systems (barcodes, RFID). The carrier and sample containers are equipped with machine-readable identifiers that can be rapidly read and verified by automated systems, maintaining high identification accuracy while dramatically reducing verification time and labor requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Carriers are provided for microbiological laboratory use, as are methods for their use. The carriers may be used to transport patient samples between laboratory stations and can be loaded into automated AST systems. In an aspect, a method of performing AST may include loading a tube comprising a patient sample onto a carrier. An AST panel may be loaded onto the carrier. The carrier may be conveyed to an automated inoculation assembly. The patient sample may be inoculated from the tube into the AST panel. The AST panel may be loaded into an automated AST system.