Piezoelectric Viscometer for Small Volume Liquid Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vibration type viscometers require large sample volumes, making them unsuitable for measuring the viscosity of small liquid samples, and they lack simplicity and ease of manufacturing for basic liquid characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A viscometer comprising a piezoelectric element, leaf spring, and information processing unit that measures viscosity by detecting displacement during resonance, allowing for accurate measurement of small sample volumes (1-100 μL) using a resonance device with adjustable distance between disk substrates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a vibration type viscometer is used to measure viscosity, then the measurement can be performed, but a large amount of liquid (35 mL) is necessary
Solution Approach 1:
The vibrator is divided into two separate disk substrates (upper and lower) with a small gap between them, creating a segmented measurement system that requires only a thin layer of liquid sample rather than submerging a complete vibrator
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement approach transitions from a three-dimensional submerged vibrator to a two-dimensional disk-to-disk configuration with a controlled gap, reducing the required sample volume from 35 mL to just 1-100 μL by utilizing the gap space between the disks
2Measurement precision
If a conventional vibration type viscometer is used, then viscosity measurement is achieved, but the device complexity increases and ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex vibrator structure is extracted and simplified to just two disk substrates with a gap, removing unnecessary components while retaining the essential vibration-based measurement function
Solution Approach 2:
The piezoelectric element replaces complex mechanical vibration generation systems, providing simple electrical-to-mechanical conversion that drives the upper disk substrate while simplifying the overall device structure
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 precise measurement of bulk viscosity for small liquid samples, overcoming the limitations of conventional viscometers by allowing measurement of samples as low as 100 μL or less, and accommodating various sample types, including those with particles and body fluids.
Implementation Method 1
the upper unit comprises a piezoelectric element, an upper disk substrate that is disposed on the lower unit side of the piezoelectric element
Implementation Method 2
measures viscosity by detecting displacement during resonance
Data Source
AI summary
There are provided a viscometer that can accurately measure a bulk viscosity of a small amount of a liquid sample such as 100 μL or less, and a method for measuring viscosity. A viscometer (1) comprises a fixing member (31), an upper unit (10), a lower unit (11), and an information processing unit (50). A method for measuring viscosity comprises measuring a viscosity of the sample by measuring a response voltage during resonance from a detecting means (19) that detects displacement of a leaf spring (17) in one direction due to vibration of the upper unit (10) through applying an AC voltage to a piezoelectric element (15) while changing a frequency by the information processing unit (50).