Smartphone Colorimetry Lid with Adjustable LED Illumination
Solution Overview
Problem
Current colorimetric analysis methods relying on smartphone cameras are limited by device specificity, environmental variables, and lack of adjustable illumination, leading to inconsistent results due to visual dependence and ambient light restrictions.
Innovation Solution
A device with a slot for sample insertion, featuring a lid with adjustable light sources for selecting wavelengths and intensities, a microcontroller for controlling the lights, and an adjustable camera height for optimal focus, enabling precise colorimetric or fluorescence analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If ambient environment light or flashlight is used as illumination source, then the device can be operated without additional illumination equipment, but the solution is restricted to the visible spectrum and cannot be adjusted by the user
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multiple LED light sources with different wavelengths (e.g., 450nm blue, 530nm green, 630nm red) that can be dynamically selected and adjusted based on the specific analysis requirements. This allows the system to adapt to different chemical reactions and sample types while maintaining a relatively compact device structure through integrated circuit control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the illumination parameters by selecting different LED wavelengths and adjusting their intensities through PWM (pulse width modulation) control. This enables the device to optimize illumination for specific chemical reactions without requiring physical reconfiguration, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity.
2Reliability
If conventional colorimetric analysis is performed without controlled illumination, then the setup is simple and quick, but environmental variables influence the chemical reaction dynamics and the color obtained
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-configuring multiple LED light sources with specific wavelengths suitable for common chemical reactions. The microcontroller is pre-programmed with protocols for different analysis types, allowing the device to quickly establish controlled illumination conditions without requiring complex real-time adjustments during the actual analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The device achieves self-service through automated illumination control where the microcontroller automatically selects and adjusts the appropriate LED wavelengths and intensities based on the detected sample type or user selection, eliminating the need for manual intervention and ensuring consistent illumination conditions for reliable colorimetric analysis.
3Measurement precision
If color judgement is performed by user visual accuracy, then no additional equipment is needed, but the interpretation is dependent on visual accuracy and visual fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physiological system of human visual judgment with an electronic detection system using the smartphone camera and image processing algorithms. The camera captures the colorimetric response, and software algorithms objectively analyze the color values, eliminating subjectivity and visual fatigue while improving measurement precision through consistent digital color measurement.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional solution is designed for a specific smartphone model, then the system can be optimized for that device, but the form factor vastly limits the number of people that can use the solution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by designing the illumination device as a standalone unit that can interface with multiple smartphone models through standard camera connections. The system uses generic communication protocols and adjustable parameters that can be configured for different camera specifications, allowing one device design to serve multiple smartphone platforms without requiring model-specific customization.
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 solution provides repeatable and adjustable light conditions, reducing human and environmental variation, allowing for precise chemical analysis across different smartphone models and environments, enhancing the accuracy and reliability of colorimetric and fluorescence analysis.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of light sources that are within the lid and surrounding the opening... selectively activating one or more of the plurality of light sources
Data Source
AI summary
A method for image capture for colorimetric analysis includes inserting a colorimetric sample into a slot formed in a base of a device. The device includes a lid surrounding and covering the base. The lid includes a central opening, and a plurality of lights are within the lid and surrounding the opening. The method also includes selecting one or more wavelengths and intensities for illuminating the sample within the device, illuminating the sample within the device with the selected one or more wavelengths and intensities by selectively activating one or more of the plurality of lights, adjusting a height of a camera over the sample to focus the sample in the camera, and capturing at least one image of the sample using the camera.