Reagent Dispensing Error Diagnosis Using Pressure and Liquid-Level Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic analyzers perform uniform error processing for reagent dispensing errors without distinguishing the cause, leading to increased troubleshooting time for operators.
Innovation Solution
The automatic analyzer includes a control device that determines the cause of reagent dispensing errors through pressure and capacitance measurements, allowing for tailored error processing based on the specific issue, such as clogging or empty containers, to reduce troubleshooting time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual inspection and handling of reagents are used, then operational flexibility is maintained, but contamination risk increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation where the automated reagent dispensing system performs inspection, handling, and dispensing operations autonomously without manual intervention, eliminating contamination risk while maintaining high throughput through robotic automation and integrated sensors
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical handling of reagents is replaced with automated robotic dispensing systems that use precision mechanisms and computer control to transfer reagents, eliminating human contact and associated contamination risks while increasing operational speed and consistency
2Productivity
If automated reagent dispensing is implemented, then productivity increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated reagent dispensing system is designed as a multi-functional platform that can handle multiple reagent types, perform various dispensing operations, and integrate with different analytical instruments, allowing a single complex system to replace multiple simpler systems and justify its complexity through versatile application
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs a nested architecture where modular components (dispensing units, storage modules, control systems) are integrated hierarchically, allowing the complex system to be organized into manageable subsystems that can be independently maintained and scaled
3Ease of manufacture
If reagents are stored in original containers, then storage simplicity is maintained, but dispensing precision decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the storage and dispensing process into distinct stages: reagents are stored in original containers for simplicity, then transferred to intermediate holding positions, and finally dispensed with precision control, allowing each stage to optimize for its specific function without compromising overall system performance
Data Source
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AI summary
An automatic analyzer and a dispensing method of an reagent are provided, in which a troubleshooting time by an operator can be reduced to a shorter one than before. A control device 115 in an automatic analyzer 1: determines from a pressure value of a pressure sensor 202b whether there is an error in dispensing; determines from a capacitance value detected by a capacitance detection mechanism 117b whether a reagent dispensing nozzle, after its lowering is stopped, reaches the liquid level of a reagent; and decides a processing content for the reagent container from results of the determination on whether there is an error in the pressure and the liquid level detection determination.