Automated Analyzer Reagent Cooler With Thin Vacuum Insulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated analyzers require a thick heat insulation material to prevent moisture condensation, leading to a large device size.
Innovation Solution
The automated analyzer incorporates a reagent cooler with a cooling jacket and multiple layers of insulation, including a vacuum heat insulation material and urethane foam, positioned to minimize heat transfer at the end portions, reducing the overall thickness of the insulation material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a thick heat insulation material is used to prevent moisture condensation, then moisture condensation is prevented, but the device size becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The heat insulation material is divided into multiple segments: a first heat insulation material layer and a second heat insulation material layer with different thermal conductivities. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific insulation function optimally, achieving effective moisture condensation prevention with reduced overall thickness compared to using a single thick layer.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the heat insulation structure use materials with different properties - the first heat insulation material has lower thermal conductivity for primary insulation, while the second heat insulation material complements it in specific regions. This local differentiation of material quality enables optimized insulation performance with thinner overall structure.
2Volume of moving object
If the thickness of heat insulation material is reduced to decrease device size, then device size is reduced, but heat insulation performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The heat insulation structure uses a composite of two different heat insulation materials with different thermal conductivities. The first heat insulation material layer provides primary insulation with lower thermal conductivity, while the second heat insulation material layer supplements the insulation performance. This composite structure achieves reliable heat insulation performance with reduced overall thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of relying solely on increasing thickness in one dimension, the solution introduces a multi-layer dimensional structure with different material properties. This transforms the single-dimension thickness problem into a multi-dimensional solution involving layer composition, material properties, and structural arrangement, achieving effective insulation with thinner overall profile.
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 configuration allows for a smaller reagent cooler and analyzer size while maintaining effective temperature control, enhancing heat insulation performance.
Implementation Method 1
the first heat insulation material is formed of a vacuum heat insulation material
Implementation Method 2
a side surface heat insulation material provided on a side surface of the cooling jacket
Implementation Method 3
a cooling device that cools the cooling jacket
Data Source
AI summary
To provide a reagent cooler reduced in size as compared with that in the related art by reducing a thickness of a heat insulation material of the reagent cooler, and an automated analyzer including the reagent cooler. In the reagent cooler of the automated analyzer, a vacuum heat insulation material is disposed in a periphery (on a side surface, or/and upper and lower portions) of a cooling jacket of the reagent cooler. Then, an end portion of the vacuum heat insulation material is disposed at a position shifted from upper and lower end portions and a side surface end portion of the cooling jacket and a distance between the end portion of the vacuum heat insulation material and the cooling jacket is taken as much as possible.