Dispensing Probe Immersion for Stable Liquid Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic analyzers face issues with liquid adhesion on probe tips leading to contamination and unstable discharge amounts, particularly during partial discharge of samples.
Innovation Solution
The automatic analyzer incorporates a dispensing mechanism with a probe that immerses its tip in the liquid after completing the discharge of a second liquid, controlled by an analysis control unit to stabilize the discharge and minimize contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the probe tip is not immersed in liquid during discharge, then contamination of the probe tip surface is reduced, but the liquid discharge amount becomes unstable and sample adhesion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the inversion principle by reversing the conventional approach: instead of keeping the probe tip out of the liquid to avoid contamination, the tip is deliberately immersed in the liquid after discharge. This counterintuitive approach uses the liquid environment to remove adhered sample through suction, thereby stabilizing the discharge amount while actually reducing contamination through the cleaning action.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of liquid adhesion on the probe tip into a beneficial cleaning mechanism. By allowing the probe tip to remain in contact with the liquid after discharge, the adhered sample is suctioned back into the liquid, transforming what was previously a contamination problem into a self-cleaning mechanism that stabilizes future discharge amounts.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the probe is ascended while dispensing the sample, then the adhesion of the sample to the side surface of the probe is reduced, but the sample cannot be completely discharged and partial adhesion to the tip occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies continuity of useful action by maintaining the probe tip in contact with the liquid environment throughout the discharge process and immediately afterward. This continuous contact ensures that any sample adhering to the tip is continuously suctioned back into the liquid, ensuring complete discharge without interruption or residual adhesion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the liquid environment provides real-time correction for any sample adhesion on the probe tip. After discharge, the probe tip remains in the liquid where any adhered sample is detected by the liquid contact and automatically removed through suction, creating a self-correcting system that ensures complete discharge.
3Reliability
If the tip of the probe is immersed in liquid after discharge, then liquid discharge amount is stabilized and contamination is reduced, but additional control complexity is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by designing a system where the liquid environment itself performs the cleaning function. The liquid automatically removes adhered sample from the probe tip through suction without requiring additional mechanical cleaning components or complex control mechanisms, thereby stabilizing discharge amounts while maintaining simple device architecture.
Data Source
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AI summary
[Problem] To provide an automatic analyzer and an automatic analysis method that can make contamination caused by adhesion of a liquid to the surface of a probe tip less than before and more stabilize the liquid discharge amount. [Solution] The automatic analyzer comprises a sample dispensing mechanism 20 having a dispensing probe 21 to discharge a liquid into a reaction container 31, and an analysis control unit 2 to control operation of the sample dispensing mechanism 20. When, with a first liquid contained in the reaction container 31, a second liquid is further discharged, the analysis control unit 2 controls the sample dispensing mechanism 20 so that the tip of the dispensing probe 21 is immersed in the liquid after completion of discharge of the second liquid.