Specimen Tip Detection Layout for High-Throughput Auto Analyzers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic analysis apparatuses face challenges in achieving high throughput and low cost due to complex dispensing mechanisms and issues with dispensing tip attachment and removal, leading to operational failures and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
An automatic analysis apparatus with a specimen dispensing mechanism that minimizes unnecessary movements by positioning a sensor outside the mechanism, allowing for efficient detection of dispensing tip presence or absence, and using a mounting unit cover to prevent contamination, while maintaining a low-cost structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a sensor is provided outside the dispensing mechanism, then the cost of the dispensing mechanism is suppressed, but the dispensing mechanism is required to move to a sensor position many times for confirming the presence or absence of mounting of the dispensing tip, so that processing performance is affected and the throughput is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The detection function is segmented from the dispensing mechanism and assigned to a separate sensor unit. This allows the sensor to be positioned independently at an optimal location that does not require the dispensing mechanism to move, thereby maintaining high throughput while keeping costs low.
Solution Approach 2:
A sensor is introduced as an intermediary component between the dispensing mechanism and the control system. The sensor detects the presence or absence of the dispensing tip without requiring direct integration into the dispensing mechanism, eliminating the need for repeated movements while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
2Productivity
If a plurality of sensors are provided, then useless movement to the sensor position is not required, but this is not preferable in cost
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sensing functions are merged into a single sensor unit by strategically positioning it to detect multiple states (dispensing tip presence, mounting status) at different phases of the operation cycle. This eliminates the need for multiple separate sensors while maintaining high throughput through continuous monitoring.
3Reliability
If a sensor, a switch, or the like is provided to the dispensing mechanism itself, then the detection of dispensing tip mounting is improved, but the structure of the dispensing mechanism is complicated and there is concern over increase of cost
Solution Approach 1:
The detection function is extracted from the dispensing mechanism and placed in a separate sensor unit. This extraction simplifies the dispensing mechanism structure while maintaining reliable detection capabilities, as the sensor can focus solely on detection without the mechanical complexity of integration.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
An automatic analysis apparatus, comprising: an incubator which accommodates a plurality of reaction vessels; a specimen dispensing mechanism which dispenses a specimen into each of the plurality of reaction vessels; a mounting unit which mounts a dispensing tip on the specimen dispensing mechanism; a suction unit which sucks a specimen from a specimen vessel containing the specimen by means of the specimen dispensing mechanism having the dispensing tip mounted thereon; a discharging unit which is provided in the incubator and discharges the specimen from the specimen dispensing mechanism to the reaction vessel; a disposal unit which discards the dispensing tip; a sensor which detects whether the dispensing tip is mounted to the specimen dispensing mechanism; and a control unit which controls the specimen dispensing mechanism.