Sample Processing Apparatus Transport Unit Failure Rerouting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sample rack transport systems halt operations entirely when trouble occurs, such as physical breakdowns, leading to inefficiencies and delays in sample processing.
Innovation Solution
A sample processing apparatus and method that includes multiple testing units and transport units, with a computer system to determine the required tests and reroute samples to available testing units, even if one transport unit is faulty, ensuring continuous sample processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sample rack transport system halts operations when trouble occurs in a transport unit, then system reliability is maintained, but productivity drops significantly due to complete stoppage
Solution Approach 1:
The transport system is divided into multiple independent transport units (first transport unit and second transport unit), allowing one unit to fail while the other continues operating. This segmentation enables partial system operation during troubles, maintaining productivity while preserving overall system reliability through redundancy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes operational parameters by switching from a single transport unit to an alternative transport unit when trouble is detected. The controller monitors the state of each transport unit and adjusts the system configuration in real-time, changing which transport unit is active to maintain continuous operation and prevent complete stoppage.
2Productivity
If the system continues operating with alternative transport units when trouble occurs, then productivity is maintained, but device complexity increases due to multiple transport units and routing logic
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple transport units are designed with identical functions and capabilities, each able to perform the same sample transport tasks. This universality allows the system to switch between units without requiring complex reconfiguration or specialized components, as each unit can fulfill any transport requirement, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller implements continuous monitoring of transport unit states and automatically detects troubles, triggering switching decisions. This feedback mechanism streamlines the complexity management by using automated state detection and decision-making, reducing the need for manual intervention and simplifying the operational complexity despite having multiple transport units.
3Productivity
If multiple transport units are implemented to prevent complete stoppage, then productivity is maintained during troubles, but device complexity and initial cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-configures multiple transport units and establishes switching protocols in advance, so that when trouble occurs, the transition to an alternative unit can happen immediately without complex real-time decision-making. This preliminary preparation limits operational complexity by having predetermined switching paths and configurations already in place.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts operational parameters by switching between transport units based on their operational state. This parameter change approach allows the system to maintain productivity by activating alternative units when needed, while the complexity increase is limited to the additional hardware components rather than complex control logic, as the switching is based on straightforward state monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
A sample processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of testing units arranged along a transport path and each configured to perform at least one type of test; a plurality of transport units configured to collectively constitute the transport path and collectively function to deliver samples to the plurality of testing units for testing; and at least one processor of a computer system and at least one memory that stores programs executable by the at least one processor to: (a) determine a type of test required to be performed on a sample; (b) if a trouble of a transport unit is reported, determine whether there is an available testing unit performable of the required type of test to which the sample is deliverable; (c) if there is the available testing unit, instruct to transport the sample to the available testing unit.