Movable apparatus for collecting and analyzing specimens
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for collecting and analyzing specimens for respiratory diseases require direct contact with patients and are limited to specific locations, leading to potential infections from both direct contact and pathogen release, and are cumbersome and costly due to the need for protective gear.
Innovation Solution
A movable apparatus with a transport means that maintains negative pressure, a remote-controlled specimen collecting device, and an analysis device, allowing specimen collection and analysis in various places without direct contact and minimizing pathogen release, using a motorized vehicle with video capture, disinfection, and remote operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If direct contact methods are used for specimen collection and analysis, then the procedure can be performed with simple equipment, but medical staff are exposed to infection risks from patients
Solution Approach 1:
A robotic arm serves as an intermediary between the medical staff and the patient, performing specimen collection without direct human contact. The robotic system includes a robotic arm with a holder for holding a specimen collection device, enabling remote operation while maintaining safety barriers.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical operations by medical staff are replaced with an automated robotic system that can be controlled remotely. The robotic arm mechanically performs the specimen collection task that would traditionally require direct human intervention, eliminating the need for protective gear while maintaining safety.
2Adaptability or versatility
If specimen collection and analysis are performed at fixed locations, then the equipment can be stationary and simple, but the service cannot be provided in various places
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus integrates multiple functions into a single mobile unit, combining specimen collection, specimen transport, and specimen analysis capabilities. This multi-functional design allows the system to be deployed at various locations while maintaining comprehensive diagnostic functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The specimen collection device, specimen transport device, and specimen analysis device are nested within the mobile apparatus structure. The robotic arm and holder are integrated into the mobile platform, creating a compact hierarchical arrangement that enables mobility without sacrificing functional capability.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If negative pressure environment is maintained in the transport means, then pathogen release is prevented, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The negative pressure generation function is extracted as a separate module within the mobile apparatus, allowing independent control and optimization of the pressure maintenance system. This enables targeted application of negative pressure only where needed for pathogen containment during transport and analysis.
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
Enables specimen collection and analysis in various locations without direct contact, preventing infections and pathogen release, while reducing the burden and cost of protective gear for medical staff.
Implementation Method 1
maintain negative pressure therein by a negative pressure module
Implementation Method 2
a suction fan configured to suction air in the transport means
Implementation Method 3
a filter configured to filter foreign substances from the air in the transport means and air supplied into the transport means
Implementation Method 4
a disinfection module configured to spray disinfectant or to radiate UV rays into the transport means
Data Source
AI summary
This application relates to a movable apparatus for collecting and analyzing specimens. In one aspect, the movable apparatus includes a transport means configured to be moved independently and to maintain negative pressure therein by a negative pressure module, and a specimen collecting device arranged in the transport means and configured to collect a specimen under remote control by inserting a specimen collecting member into the nasal cavity of a testee who enters the transport means. The apparatus may also include a specimen transport device arranged in the transport means and configured to transport the specimen collecting member under remote control that has collected the specimen in one direction, and a specimen analysis device arranged in the transport means and configured to extract the specimen from the specimen collecting member that has been transported by the specimen transport device under remote control and to analyze the specimen.