Sample Rack Transport Unit with Segmented Access Region
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing sample processing apparatuses face difficulties in allowing user access to sample racks during transport suspension events, as the process region is covered, making it cumbersome to retrieve sample racks from the process region, especially when they are mid-operation.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a transport unit with a rack removal region and a restraining member to safely manage sample racks during transport suspension events, allowing operators to access the sample racks after a predetermined event, and a processor to control the transport unit for efficient rack handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the process region is covered with a protective housing to prevent user access, then safety is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates when transport suspension occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The transport unit is divided into distinct regions: a transport region where the sample rack is restrained during normal operation, and a rack removal region where the sample rack can be accessed. This spatial segmentation allows the protective housing to cover only the transport region while providing access at the rack removal region, resolving the contradiction between safety and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack removal region acts as an intermediary zone between the protected transport region and the user. When transport suspension occurs, the sample rack can be moved to this intermediate region where users can safely access and remove racks without compromising the protective housing's safety function.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the protective housing covers the process region, then contamination prevention is improved, but time to resolve transport suspension deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rack removal region is prepared in advance as an accessible zone outside the protective housing. When transport suspension occurs, users can immediately access and remove sample racks from this pre-prepared region without needing to open or modify the protective housing, thus preventing contamination while minimizing time loss.
3Reliability
If the restraining member prevents contact with sample rack on transport region, then safety is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates during suspension events
Solution Approach 1:
The transport unit is segmented into a transport region with restraining members that prevent contact, and a rack removal region without restraining members where contact is permitted. This segmentation allows the restraining member to provide safety during transport while not interfering with rack removal operations in the dedicated removal region.
Data Source
AI summary
A sample processing apparatus includes a sample processing unit for obtaining a sample from a sample container and performing a predetermined process of the sample; a transport unit which includes a transport region for transporting, in a transport operation, a sample rack holding the sample container to the sample processing unit, and a rack removal region where the sample rack is accessible to an operator. A restraining member is also provided, which restrains contact by the operator to the sample rack on the transport region. A transport controller controls the transport unit to transport the sample rack on the transport region to the rack removal region after a predetermined transport suspension event occurs during the transport operation.