Solid-Phase Microextraction Device with Segmented Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solid-phase microextraction devices are bulky and prone to fiber damage due to their fragile nature, which can lead to incorrect analysis results and increased maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A compact solid-phase microextraction device design featuring a holding device secured on an adapter, with an actuating device connected to a guide device, allowing the extraction device to be held stationary and protected during use, enabling precise positioning and easy maintenance, and allowing for superimposed movements to simulate stationary actuation while moving the holding device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the fiber is made movable in the longitudinal direction with the plunger, then the extraction function is achieved, but the fiber is prone to damage during the method
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate functional components: the plunger carries the fiber for extraction, while the needle provides protective guidance. This segmentation allows the fiber to be protected from damage while maintaining its extraction function through the plunger mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle acts as an intermediary protective element between the fiber and the external environment. It guides the fiber during insertion and withdrawal, preventing direct contact with contaminants and mechanical damage while allowing the fiber to perform its extraction function.
2Reliability
If the fiber is enclosed by a protective sheath, then the fiber is protected, but the device takes up a large amount of space
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber is nested within the needle, which itself is contained within the plunger. This nested arrangement provides protective enclosure for the fiber while minimizing the overall device volume, as each component is compactly integrated within the previous one.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of enclosing the fiber in a bulky external sheath, the protection is achieved by making the fiber itself the core around which the needle and plunger are arranged. The protective structure is inverted from an external enclosure to an internal containment arrangement.
3Ease of operation
If the extraction device is moved manually, then the extraction function is performed, but the position cannot be determined unambiguously
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter serves multiple functions: it provides the interface for manual operation, establishes a reference frame for position determination, and enables both the extraction function and precise positioning. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by making the reference system inherent to the operation itself.
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 device minimizes space usage, reduces the risk of fiber damage, and facilitates cost-effective maintenance by allowing individual parts to be replaced, thereby preventing falsification of analysis results and ensuring accurate sample extraction.
Implementation Method 1
The analyte of the matrix thus accumulates on the fiber
Implementation Method 2
the analyte on the fiber can be desorbed, for example in a gas chromatograph
Data Source
AI summary
In a method for performing a solid-phase micro-extraction, a holding device connected to an extraction device and secured on an adapter is held, while an actuating device connected to a guide device is moved. A device for performing a solid-phase microextraction comprises an actuating device connected to a guide device, and a holding device connected to an extraction device, wherein the extraction device is guided at least partially in the guide device, and wherein the extraction device is movable relative to the guide device by means of an actuation of the actuating device.