Receptacle Storage Module Transport Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated analysis systems face challenges in minimizing storage area size and preventing cross-contamination of liquid samples due to the close spacing of sample receptacles, which requires elevated transport and increases the risk of material falling from one receptacle into another.
Innovation Solution
A receptacle storage module with a specific configuration of storage areas and a mechanized robot system that transfers sample receptacles without passing over adjacent ones, using a controller to manage the transfer process and ensure each receptacle is moved over empty positions, thereby preventing contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If sample receptacles are held closely together to maximize storage capacity, then storage area size is minimized, but the risk of cross-contamination increases when transporting receptacles
Solution Approach 1:
The storage area is divided into multiple racks with individual receptacle holding positions, allowing selective access to specific receptacles without moving others. This segmentation enables close spacing while maintaining contamination barriers between adjacent receptacles.
Solution Approach 2:
A robot arm acts as an intermediary mechanism to transfer receptacles from storage racks to analysis stations. The robot picks up receptacles vertically from holding positions and transports them without contact with adjacent receptacles, eliminating the need for manual handling that could cause contamination.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If receptacles are elevated during transport to avoid contact, then cross-contamination is prevented, but the vertical dimension of the station increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from horizontal transport paths that require elevation to vertical pick-and-place motion. The robot arm moves receptacles in the vertical dimension during pickup and placement, then transports them horizontally at a consistent height without requiring excessive vertical clearance, optimizing the station's footprint.
3Area of stationary object
If receptacles are transported over other receptacles to access closely spaced positions, then storage density is maximized, but the risk of material falling and contaminating other samples increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot arm performs preliminary vertical elevation to clear the height of adjacent receptacles before horizontal movement, ensuring no contact occurs during transport. This preliminary action in the vertical dimension enables safe horizontal traversal past other receptacles without contamination risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual mechanical handling with an automated robot arm that provides precise control over pickup, transport, and placement operations. This substitution eliminates human error and ensures consistent, contamination-free handling of receptacles.
Data Source
AI summary
Sample receptacles are automatically transferred from first and second storage areas of a storage module to a conveyor without passing over any other sample receptacle stored in the storage module. Receptacle holding positions in the first and second storage areas are arranged in rows and columns, and sample containers are transferred row-by-row or column-by-column, starting with sample container held closest to a first side of the first or second storage area. Receptacles transferred from the first storage area are transferred across the first side to the conveyor. Receptacles transferred from the second storage area are transferred across the first side into a first receptacle transport path between the first and second storage areas, and then to a second receptacle transport path across the first storage area, and then to the conveyor. To avoid passing a receptacle over another receptacle, receptacles are first removed from intervening holding positions between a respective holding position from which the receptacle is being transferred and the first side of the first or second storage area.