Sensor Assembly Flow Stabilization for Body Fluid Analysis
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor assemblies for bio-analytic measurements in body fluids face challenges in reliably filling, emptying, and re-filling small sample volumes due to issues like contamination, bubble formation, and varying wetting properties of sensor surfaces, which complicates multiple parameter measurements on reusable devices.
Innovation Solution
A sensor assembly with a measurement chamber design featuring a widening around sensors with different wetting properties, where the chamber width exceeds the sensor width to stabilize flow-fronts, and flow shaping elements with varying wettability to enhance filling, emptying, and re-filling performance, ensuring consistent and reliable measurements across multiple uses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a reusable sensor assembly is designed for multiple parameter measurements on very small sample volumes, then measurement capability is improved, but reliability of filling, emptying, and re-filling deteriorates due to contamination, bubble formation, and varying wetting properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a widening in the measurement chamber at the location of sensors with different wetting properties. This local geometric modification allows the flow-front to stabilize around these sensors, ensuring reliable wetting and filling without compromising the overall small sample volume design. The widening is specifically positioned where needed rather than uniformly throughout the chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
The widening acts as an intermediary geometric feature between the fluid flow and the sensors with varying wetting properties. It mediates the interaction by providing a transition zone that allows the flow-front to adapt to different surface energies, preventing direct contact issues and ensuring consistent filling and emptying behavior across all sensor surfaces.
2Ease of manufacture
If the measurement chamber is designed with a simple geometry to ease manufacturing, then ease of manufacture is improved, but flow-front stability deteriorates when encountering sensors with different wetting properties
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than complicating the entire chamber geometry, the patent introduces a localized widening only at the specific position where sensors with different wetting properties are located. This minimal geometric modification maintains ease of manufacture for the overall chamber while providing the necessary flow-front stability exactly where needed.
3Device complexity
If all sensor surfaces have uniform wettability to simplify design, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to improper wetting of sensor surfaces during filling
Solution Approach 1:
The widening serves as an intermediary geometric feature that compensates for the presence of sensors with different wettability properties. It allows the flow-front to stabilize and properly wet all sensor surfaces regardless of their individual surface energies, ensuring accurate quantitative measurements without requiring uniform sensor surface properties.
4Quantity of substance
If the measurement chamber is made small to reduce sample volume, then sample volume consumption is reduced, but filling and emptying reliability deteriorates due to bubble formation and liquid entrapment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains a small overall measurement chamber volume while introducing a localized widening at the sensor region. This local geometric feature provides sufficient space for the flow-front to stabilize and eliminate bubbles without increasing the total sample volume consumption, thus maintaining both small volume and high reliability.
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
The design stabilizes flow-fronts and improves the reliability of filling, emptying, and re-filling processes, reducing contamination and bubble entrapment, allowing for precise and efficient multiple parameter measurements on small sample volumes in a reusable device.
Implementation Method 1
problems of properly wetting all sensor surfaces during filling so as to ensure correct interaction between the sensor and the sample
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The present invention relates to a sensor assembly for body fluids. The sensor assembly comprises: a measurement chamber extending in an axial direction from an inlet to an outlet, the measurement chamber having a transverse cross-section with side walls defining a chamber width in a horizontal direction, and with top and bottom walls defining a chamber height in a vertical direction, each of the side walls, top wall and bottom wall having a respective wall wettability for aqueous solutions; a first sensor adapted to measure a first parameter of body fluids, the first sensor having a first sensor surface exposed to the inside of the measurement chamber at a first axial position, the first sensor surface having a first wettability for aqueous solutions; and a second sensor adapted to measure a second parameter of body fluids, the second sensor having a second sensor surface exposed to the inside of the measurement chamber at a second axial position upstream or downstream from the first axial position, the second sensor surface having a second wettability for aqueous solutions higher than the first wettability. At the second axial position, the chamber width exceeds the width of the second sensor surface, and the measurement chamber has a widening in a horizontal direction as compared to the first axial position.