Solvent Identification Unit for Chromatography Error Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual preparation of mobile phases in chromatography is error-prone and requires skilled technicians, with common mistakes occurring during solvent bottle handling, leading to potential errors in solvent positioning and mixing in chromatographic systems.
Innovation Solution
A solvent supply system with a solvent identification unit that assigns channel-specific identifications to solvent containers, allowing for visual or physical marking, such as labels, color coding, or NFC tags, to ensure correct solvent placement and reduce errors by linking the solvent container with its destination channel, enabling verification without requiring knowledge of the solvent content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual preparation of mobile phases is performed, then flexibility in solvent selection is improved, but error rate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates verification mechanisms where the chromatographic system reads the identification information from solvent containers and provides feedback to confirm correct matching. The system can detect mismatches between the solvent container identification and the required solvent type for a specific channel, alerting the operator to correct the error before analysis begins.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary identification system (such as color codes, barcodes, or RFID tags) that mediates between the solvent container and the chromatographic system. This intermediary layer provides unambiguous linkage information that reduces the cognitive load on operators and minimizes human error in matching solvents to correct channels.
2Manufacturing precision
If channel-specific identification is implemented, then solvent placement accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs color coding as a simple yet effective identification mechanism. Each solvent container is marked with specific color indicators that correspond to the required channel or solvent type. This visual coding system provides immediate, intuitive identification without requiring complex electronic readers or processing systems, thereby maintaining simplicity while improving accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses replicable identification markers (such as printed labels, color bands, or barcode stickers) that can be easily applied to solvent containers. These copies of identification information can be produced at low cost and provide consistent, reliable linkage information without requiring expensive or complex identification hardware.
3Reliability
If verification of solvent container positioning is added, then reliability is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The identification system is designed to be self-verifying through intuitive visual cues such as color codes or QR codes that operators can quickly scan and verify. The system performs its own verification function through these built-in markers, reducing the need for additional manual checking steps and minimizing time consumption while maintaining high reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The identification information is pre-applied to solvent containers during preparation, before they are assigned to specific channels. This preliminary marking allows for rapid verification at the point of use without requiring time-consuming identification processes during the actual analysis setup, as the linkage information is already in place and ready for quick verification.
Data Source
AI summary
A solvent supply system supplies solvent for one or more chromatographic separation systems each including one or more input channels. Each input channel is configured for fluidically coupling with a respective solvent container for supplying the respective input channel with a respective solvent from the respective solvent container. The solvent supply system includes a solvent identification unit configured for providing a channel identification for identifying a specific solvent container to supply a specific input channel of a specific chromatographic separation system, and for assigning the channel identification to the specific solvent container.