Reagent Bottle Unlidding Needle for Controlled Lid Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic analyzers face challenges in forming a desired cut shape in a reagent bottle lid without the lid escaping from the center, leading to friction and potential reagent deterioration due to heat or shearing forces, which is exacerbated by the development of reagent micro-dispensing techniques.
Innovation Solution
The automatic analyzer employs a piercing needle with first and second step blade portions to break the lid from the center to the peripheral and vice versa, forming a desired cut shape without lid escape, reducing friction, and minimizing reagent exposure to air.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a piercing needle with multiple blades is used to make cuts in the lid, then the friction between the reagent probe and lid is reduced, but the lid escapes from the center to the outside making it difficult to form the desired cut shape
Solution Approach 1:
The piercing needle is divided into multiple blade portions (first and second blade portions) arranged radially around the central axis. Each blade portion independently creates a cut line, and together they form a complete circular or multi-sided cut pattern. This segmentation allows the lid to be cut along multiple radii simultaneously, preventing escape while maintaining cut quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade portions are positioned asymmetrically at different radial distances from the central axis of the piercing needle. This asymmetric arrangement ensures that cuts are made at varying depths and angles throughout the lid thickness, creating interlocking cut patterns that anchor the lid material and prevent it from escaping outward during the piercing process.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the number of cuts in the lid is increased to reduce friction, then the friction is reduced, but the lid escape problem worsens
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple blade portions create multiple cut lines radiating from the center, dividing the lid into several sectors. This segmentation distributes the cutting forces across multiple locations, preventing concentrated stress that would cause lid escape, while simultaneously reducing friction by creating more cut surfaces for the reagent probe to pass through.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade portions extend at different radial distances from the central axis, creating cuts at multiple depth levels and radial positions. This three-dimensional cut pattern (combining radial distance and angular position) creates a more stable cut structure that prevents lid escape while maximizing friction reduction through increased cut surface area.
Data Source
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AI summary
To provide an automatic analyzer, an uncovering mechanism, and an uncovering method capable of forming a cut having a desired shape on a lid without the lid escaping from a center of the lid to the outside. The automatic analyzer includes: a reagent disk 3 configured to accommodate a reagent bottle 4 accommodating a reagent; and a lid opening mechanism 30 including a piercing needle 15 configured to break a lid 4a of the reagent bottle 4 to be conveyed to the reagent disk 3 or the reagent bottle 4 conveyed to the reagent disk 3, and the piercing needle 15 includes a first step blade portion 16 configured to break the lid 4a from a center portion of the lid 4a toward a peripheral portion of the lid 4a, and a second step blade portion 17 configured to break the lid 4a from the peripheral portion of the lid 4a to the center portion of the lid 4a.