Sample Measurement System Dedicated Transport Paths
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing sample measurement systems face challenges in maintaining processing performance due to delayed supply of consumables and samples, especially when the number of sample measurement units increases, as they rely on a single transport line for both reagents and consumables, leading to potential delays and decreased usability.
Innovation Solution
A sample measurement system with dedicated transport paths for consumables and samples, where consumable racks and sample racks are separately transported to sample measurement units, ensuring smooth supply and reducing the risk of delays, and includes a method for collecting and reusing consumable racks to improve efficiency and usability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single transport line is used to transport both reagents and consumables to sample measurement units, then the system structure is simplified, but the supply reliability decreases due to potential delays when multiple items compete for the same transport capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The transport system is segmented into separate transport lines: a first transport line dedicated to transporting consumable racks and a second transport line dedicated to transporting sample racks. This segmentation eliminates competition for transport capacity between different items, ensuring that consumables and samples are supplied reliably without delays, while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular design
2Productivity
If the number of sample measurement units is increased to improve processing performance, then the measurement capacity is enhanced, but the supply reliability of consumables and samples decreases due to increased demand on the transport system
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the transport system into multiple dedicated lines (first transport line for consumables, second transport line for samples), the system can support multiple sample measurement units simultaneously without supply delays, enabling scaling of processing performance while maintaining reliable supply to all units
Solution Approach 2:
The transport system is designed with universal rack structures (consumable racks and sample racks) that can be transported along dedicated lines to multiple sample measurement units, allowing the system to serve multiple units with standardized transport mechanisms while maintaining supply reliability
3Ease of operation
If consumable racks are discarded after use, then the system operation is simplified, but the loss of substance increases due to waste of reusable rack structures
Solution Approach 1:
Used consumable racks are recovered from the sample measurement units and transported back to the consumable setting unit along the first transport line, where they are reused for additional consumables. This recovery process eliminates waste of rack structures while maintaining simplified automated operation, as the transport and reuse are handled automatically by the system
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3D
AI summary
To provide a sample measurement system including sample measurement units and a method of transporting racks in the sample measurement system that suppress a decrease in processing performance caused by delay in supply of consumables and samples to the sample measurement units. A sample measurement system (100) includes: a first transport path (F) that transports a consumable rack storing consumables from a consumable setting unit (2) to at least one of sample measurement units (1a, 1b); and a second transport path (KF) that transports a sample rack storing samples from a sample setting unit (4) to at least one of the sample measurement units (1a, 1b).