Syringe Pump Assembly Cues for Automatic Analyzer Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic analyzers face challenges in accurately connecting syringe pumps with the correct dispensing units due to a lack of individual control over plunger diameters, leading to reduced analysis speed and accuracy, and potential misconnection during maintenance.
Innovation Solution
The automatic analyzer is equipped with multiple pump units, each having individually set plunger diameters and color-coded syringe tubes and bases to ensure correct identification, along with an assembly support system using optotypes and identification bands to guide proper assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If each syringe pump is configured with a dedicated actuator, then the degree of freedom of operation sequence is increased and analysis speed is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the actuation function by providing dedicated actuators for different syringe pumps (sample syringe pump, reagent syringe pump, cleaning liquid syringe pump). This segmentation enables independent control of each pump, allowing flexible operation sequences and improved analysis speed while maintaining manageable system complexity through functional separation.
2Ease of operation
If syringe pumps are attached and detached during maintenance with one-to-one actuator relationship, then individual driving capability is achieved, but misconnection errors occur when syringe pumps are reassembled
Solution Approach 1:
The syringe pumps are equipped with distinctive local quality features: different colored plunger rods (red for sample, blue for reagent, green for cleaning liquid) and corresponding colored identification bands on actuators. This visual differentiation enables operators to quickly identify and correctly reconnect each syringe pump to its designated actuator during maintenance, preventing misconnection errors while preserving individual driving capability.
3Device complexity
If multiple syringe pumps share one actuator, then device complexity is reduced, but the degree of freedom of operation sequence is limited and dispensing precision decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the actuation system into separate dedicated actuators for each syringe pump type. This segmentation allows each pump to be precisely controlled independently, achieving high dispensing precision for different liquids (sample, reagent, cleaning liquid) while maintaining reasonable device complexity through systematic design.
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic analyzer includes: a plurality of dispensing units; and a plurality of pump units connected to the respective dispensing units. Each of the plurality of pump units includes: a syringe tube that has a liquid port at one end and an opening at another end; a syringe base that is attached to the opening at the other end of the syringe tube; a plunger that penetrates the syringe base and whose tip end is inserted inside the syringe tube; a seal piece that is configured to seal a gap between the plunger and the syringe base; an actuator; and a power transmission mechanism that connects the actuator and the plunger. Each plunger of the plurality of pump units has an individually set diameter and a different thickness. At least one of the syringe base and the syringe tube represents the diameter of the corresponding plunger in appearance.