Microscope Slide-Holder Support With Collection Plate Debris Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing slide-holder supports for microscopes are prone to material falling off the slides and potentially damaging the microscope's delicate components, leading to fouling and functional issues.
Innovation Solution
A slide-holder support with a collection plate that forms a collection compartment below the through-opening, preventing materials from falling and featuring removable engagement means for easy maintenance and cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a through opening is provided in the slide-holder support for illumination, then illumination of the slide is enabled, but material can fall through the opening and damage microscope parts
Solution Approach 1:
A collection plate is introduced as an intermediary element positioned at the bottom of the support body. This plate closes the through-opening from below, preventing material from reaching microscope components while still allowing light to pass through for illumination. The collection plate acts as a mediator that resolves the conflict between maintaining illumination functionality and preventing damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The collection plate is nested within the support body structure, forming a collection compartment between the plate and the slide. This nested configuration allows the support body to contain both the illumination function (through-opening) and the protection function (collection plate blocking the opening from below) simultaneously.
2Reliability
If material falls off the slide, then it can be collected, but it may foul or damage delicate microscope parts underneath
Solution Approach 1:
The collection plate converts the potentially harmful falling material into a contained collection. Instead of material damaging microscope parts, it is redirected and collected in the compartment formed by the plate, transforming a harmful effect into a controlled collection mechanism that protects the microscope.
Solution Approach 2:
The collection plate is positioned in advance to prevent material from reaching microscope components. By placing this blocking element before material can fall to the delicate parts, the design preemptively counteracts the potential harmful action of material falling.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the support structure is made solid to prevent material falling, then protection is improved, but illumination through the opening is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure has different properties in different locations: the collection plate is solid to prevent material passage, while the through-opening remains open to allow light transmission. This local differentiation of structural properties enables simultaneous achievement of protection and illumination functions.
Data Source
AI summary
A microscope slide-holder support having a plate-shaped body defining an upper body surface, an opposite lower body surface, and a body thickness defined between the upper body surface and the lower body surface is provided. The plate-shaped body has a through opening passing through the plate-shaped body between the upper body surface and the lower body surface, at least one slide seat to removably house a corresponding microscope slide at the upper body surface, and upper removable engagement means for engaging/disengaging the microscope slide to/from the plate-shaped body at a respective slide seat. The microscope slide-holder support has a collection plate coupable to the plate-shaped body for at least partially closing the through opening close to the lower body surface, the collection plate and the through opening being configured to jointly form a collection compartment in the microscope slide-holder support.