Reusable Biosensor Assembly With Protected Test Line Insertion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional biosensors result in unnecessary waste due to non-used components being discarded after each test, and the test line is often deformed or damaged during insertion, leading to contamination risks.
Innovation Solution
A biosensor design featuring reusable main body, shell, and base components, with a disposable and replaceable biosensing unit and needle, ensuring the test line is protected during insertion by a needle protector, allowing multiple uses and reducing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional biosensor uses a disposable design with all components discarded after each test, then reliability and contamination prevention are improved, but waste and loss of substance increase
Solution Approach 1:
The biosensor is divided into two segments: a reusable main body containing non-critical components (housing, electronics, power source) and a disposable biosensing unit containing the test line. This segmentation allows only the contaminated portion to be discarded while reusing the majority of components, reducing waste while maintaining contamination prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements selective discarding of only the biosensing unit after each test, while recovering and reusing the main body components. This partial discarding strategy maintains reliability by ensuring the critical sensing element is always fresh, while recovering valuable components to reduce overall waste.
2Ease of operation
If the test line is directly inserted into the skin with the needle, then the insertion process is simple, but the test line is deformed or damaged causing contamination
Solution Approach 1:
A needle protector is introduced as an intermediary component between the needle and test line during insertion. The protector shields the test line from direct contact with the skin and deformation forces during needle insertion, then is removed to allow proper test line placement, thus maintaining both insertion simplicity and test line integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle protector is pre-attached to the needle before insertion, providing preliminary protection to the test line. This preliminary action ensures the test line is shielded from damage during the critical insertion phase, preventing deformation and contamination before the test line is exposed.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If all components are discarded after each test, then contamination risk is reduced, but manufacturing cost and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The biosensor system is segmented into reusable and disposable portions, allowing resource-efficient design where only the essential contaminated components (biosensing unit with test line) are manufactured as single-use items, while other components are manufactured once and reused multiple times, reducing overall resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a recover and reuse cycle for the main body components (housing, electronics, power source) after the disposable biosensing unit is discarded. This reduces the quantity of substances consumed by avoiding repeated manufacturing of non-critical components while maintaining contamination control.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a biosensor. The biosensor includes a main body, a spring, a shell, a biosensing unit, a base, and a push member. The spring is configured to be disposed on the main body. The shell is configured to couple to a first side of the main body. The biosensing unit is configured to couple to a second side of the main body and is disposable. The base is configured to couple to the shell to accommodate the main body and the biosensing unit between the shell and the base. The push member defines a needle receiver for removably coupling to a needle.