Rotatable Syringe Holder for Compact Fluid Transfer Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid transfer systems for medicine dispensing are inefficient and require significant facility space due to their reliance on manual skills and dedicated apparatuses, limiting automation and increasing facility size.
Innovation Solution
A fluid transfer system incorporating a multi-jointed robot and syringe driving apparatus with a controller that automates the process of transferring fluids between vessels and syringes, including puncturing, reversing, and suction control, to minimize facility size while maintaining efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If dedicated apparatuses are used for each work in medicine dispensing, then automation is achieved, but facility size increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The robot arm is designed to perform multiple functions including holding the syringe, puncturing the vessel, and rotating to change spatial relationships. The rotation mechanism enables the same apparatus to adapt to different operational requirements (suction vs injection) without needing separate dedicated devices, thereby achieving automation while minimizing facility space.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the syringe holding function, puncture function, and rotation function into a single integrated robot arm assembly. By merging these functions that would traditionally require separate dedicated apparatuses, the system achieves automation while significantly reducing the overall facility size required.
2Area of stationary object
If manual skills are used for fluid transfer, then facility size is reduced, but efficiency and accuracy depend on worker skills
Solution Approach 1:
The robot arm autonomously performs the fluid transfer operations including positioning, puncturing, rotating, and coordinating with the syringe driving apparatus. The system eliminates dependence on worker skills by automating these tasks, achieving both compact facility size and consistent high efficiency through self-service automation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the robot arm rotates the cylinder body holder and actuator, then spatial relationship between vessel and syringe is reversed, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller monitors the rotation of the cylinder body holder and actuator, and automatically adjusts the coordination between the robot arm's movements and the syringe driving apparatus. This feedback control manages the complexity of reversing spatial relationships while maintaining precise control over the fluid transfer operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A fluid transfer system 1A includes a multi-jointed robot 20 which is capable of transferring a vial 16 and a syringe 17, and a syringe driving apparatus 30. The syringe driving apparatus 30 includes a cylinder body holder which holds a cylinder body of the syringe 17, an actuator which pulls and pushes a plunger of the syringe 17, and a rotation mechanism configured to make the cylinder body holder and the actuator freely rotatable about an axial line intersecting with a center axial line of the syringe 17.