Segmented Cuvette Assembly for Rapid Bacterial Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current cuvettes for optical measurement of liquid samples, particularly for detecting bacteria, are not conducive to mass production and lack user-friendly features, making them unsuitable for commercial use and easy operation.
Innovation Solution
A modular cuvette assembly with a unitary body made of transparent material, featuring multiple optical chambers and a registration platform for different cuvette configurations, along with a modular optical measuring instrument that uses forward-scatter signals to detect bacteria concentration, allowing for easy sample insertion and varied applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional cuvettes are used for optical measurement, then the measurement function is achieved, but the ease of manufacture and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The cuvette is divided into multiple separate chambers (e.g., nine individual chambers) within a single cuvette body, allowing independent sample placement and analysis in each chamber while maintaining a standardized, manufacturable overall structure. This segmentation enables flexible configuration for different testing requirements while preserving ease of manufacture through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The cuvette design incorporates universal features such as standardized chamber configurations, interchangeable components, and compatible interfaces that allow the same basic cuvette structure to serve multiple testing applications and be used with different measurement systems, thereby improving both ease of manufacture and operational flexibility.
2Productivity
If traditional cuvettes are used for optical measurement, then the measurement function is achieved, but the productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By providing multiple chambers within a single cuvette, the system enables parallel processing of multiple samples simultaneously. This segmentation allows concurrent optical measurements on different samples without requiring separate cuvettes for each sample, significantly reducing the total time required for bacterial analysis and improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-chamber cuvette design allows continuous optical measurement across multiple samples without interruption or sequential processing delays. The system maintains continuous useful action by enabling simultaneous analysis of multiple bacterial samples in parallel chambers, eliminating idle time between measurements and accelerating result delivery.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a single cuvette type is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cuvette is segmented into multiple chambers that can be configured in different patterns and sizes to accommodate various testing requirements. This segmentation provides adaptability for different bacterial analysis applications while maintaining a relatively simple base design that does not require complex external components or systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The cuvette design incorporates dynamic configurability where chambers can be selectively activated or deactivated based on testing requirements, and the system can adapt to different cuvette configurations without requiring fundamental changes to the measurement system. This dynamic adaptability is achieved through software control and flexible sample placement rather than complex mechanical adjustments.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables rapid and accurate detection of bacteria concentration in liquid samples, improving the efficiency and ease of use in bacterial analysis, reducing the time required for results from days to hours.
Implementation Method 1
optical laser scattering is one of the most sensitive methods, but its implementation can be very challenging, especially when analyzing biological samples in which suspended particles are relatively transparent in the medium. In this case, most of the scattering process occurs in the forward direction near the incident laser beam.
Implementation Method 2
To detect this forward scattering signal, high extinction of the incident beam is required.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is a cuvette assembly for use in optically measuring at least one characteristic of particles within a plurality of liquid samples. The cuvette assembly includes a unitary body made of a single type of transparent material. The unitary body includes a plurality of optical chambers for receiving the liquid sample, an entry side wall for allowing transmission of an input light beam into the respective liquid sample, and an exit side wall for transmitting a forward scatter signal caused by the particles within the respective liquid sample. Each of the plurality of optical chambers is separated by internal walls of the unitary body.