Pipette Two-Symbol Coding via Stokes Shift
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pipettes require manual determination of pressure settings based on visual assessment, leading to potential inaccuracies in identifying pipette types and volumes, especially when used in serological studies, where precise dispensing behavior is critical.
Innovation Solution
A pipette with a material causing a wavelength shift in electromagnetic radiation, combined with a pipetting aid equipped with radiation sources and a detector, allows for automatic identification of pipette type and volume by emitting and detecting specific wavelengths, enabling reliable and automatic classification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual determination of pressure settings based on visual assessment is used, then the pipetting aid can be operated with simple controls, but the identification accuracy of pipette types and volumes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual visual assessment mechanism with an automated optical detection system. The pipette contains a fluorescent material that emits light at specific wavelengths when irradiated, and the pipetting aid uses a radiation source and detector to automatically identify the pipette type and volume, eliminating the need for manual pressure setting based on visual labels.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipette itself carries the identification information through its material composition (fluorescent material with specific wavelength shifts), which automatically reveals its type and volume when scanned by the pipetting aid. The system serves itself by using the pipette's inherent optical properties for identification without requiring external labeling or manual intervention.
2Reliability
If colored labelling on the pipette is used for classification, then the pipette can be identified by visual assessment, but the reliability of automatic identification deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses fluorescent materials that emit light at specific wavelengths when irradiated, creating a form of optical coding. Each pipette type and volume has a unique wavelength signature, allowing reliable automatic identification through optical detection rather than visual color assessment, thereby improving both reliability and precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces visual color-based identification with an automated optical scanning system. The pipetting aid irradiates the pipette with electromagnetic radiation and detects the emitted fluorescence wavelengths, providing reliable and precise automatic identification that eliminates human error in reading colored labels.
3Extent of automation
If the pipette material causes a wavelength shift in electromagnetic radiation, then automatic identification of pipette type and volume is enabled, but the manufacturing complexity of the pipette increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates fluorescent materials into the pipette composition, creating a composite structure that enables optical identification. The fluorescent material is integrated into the pipette body, allowing it to emit characteristic wavelengths when irradiated, thus enabling automatic identification while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standard material integration techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipette material is designed to exhibit specific wavelength shift characteristics when exposed to electromagnetic radiation. By controlling the optical parameters of the pipette material (fluorescent properties), the system enables automatic identification through wavelength detection, balancing manufacturing complexity with automation capability.
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
This solution ensures accurate and automatic identification of pipette types and volumes, reducing human error and enhancing precision in laboratory operations by using a Stokes shift effect to generate a unique two-symbol code for each type, facilitating reliable and efficient liquid dispensing.
Implementation Method 1
The pipette comprises a material which causes a wavelength shift between the electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the pipette and the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the pipette
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a pipette with a first opening for receiving and removing a liquid to be dispensed and a second opening which lies opposite the first opening. According to the invention, the pipette comprises a material which causes a wavelength shift between the electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the pipette and the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the pipette. The invention additionally relates to a pipette aid for receiving a pipette for dispensing a liquid. According to the invention, the pipette aid comprises both a data storage device, in which a database with reference measurement data is stored, as well as two radiation sources and a radiation detector, wherein the two radiation sources emit electromagnetic radiation with different wavelengths, and the radiation detector detects the wavelength of the received electromagnetic radiation.