Biological Particle Capture Calibration for Pipette Tip Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing automatic capture devices for biological particles suffer from inaccuracies due to deviations in the relative positions of mechanical arms and pipette tips, leading to lower sorting accuracy.

Innovation Solution

A correction and capture method using an image observation unit to define correction points and adjust the position of a particle capture tool relative to a carrier platform, employing multi-point corrections and coordinate systems to improve alignment accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If a mechanical arm drives a pipette tip to move for automatic sorting, then automation is improved, but position accuracy deteriorates due to tolerance and deviation between components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomatic sortingVSAvoidposition accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces pure mechanical positioning with an optical measurement system. An image observation unit captures images of the carrier platform, and a terminal device calculates actual positions based on these images, substituting mechanical tolerance-based positioning with optical measurement-based positioning for higher accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a virtual copy of the physical carrier platform in the form of an image. By comparing the image coordinates with the mechanical arm's coordinate system, the system identifies and corrects position deviations without physically adjusting the mechanical components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Measurement precision

If multi-point correction is implemented to improve position accuracy, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional correction points and coordinate systems

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveposition accuracyVSAvoidcorrection system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a second dimension of measurement by using image coordinates from the image observation unit alongside the mechanical arm's coordinate system. This dual-coordinate approach allows for more comprehensive error correction across multiple dimensions without requiring complex mechanical adjustments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS12538030B2Correction and capture method for biological particle capture device

Publication Date: 2026.01.27 LIQBIO BIOMEDICAL CO LTD

AI summary

A correction and capture method for a biological particle capture device includes: providing an image observation unit facing a side of a carrier platform on an observation platform and orientating a view region of the image observation unit towards a carrier region of the carrier platform for taking images; performing a fixed point displacement on the observation platform by the image observation unit based on several observation basic coordinates on an observation platform coordinate system and defining a correction point in an image of the view region when the image observation unit is positioned at one observation basic coordinate and take the image; controlling a capture portion of the particle capture tool to enter the image of the view region; adjusting the capture portion to align with the correction point and recording a capture correction coordinate by the terminal device.