Test Element for Mobile Water Analysis with Integrated Reagent
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile water-analysis methods, such as photometric cuvette tests, are inconvenient, prone to errors, and pose health and environmental hazards due to the handling of hazardous reagents, limiting their use to laboratory settings.
Innovation Solution
A mobile water-analyzing system with a test-element featuring a sample line containing a key reagent, where the reagent is positioned between the inlet and measuring sections, allowing for precise mixing and measurement, with a pump actuator for automated sample handling, reducing manual errors and reagent exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual cuvette tests are used, then the system is simple and portable, but the handling is inconvenient and prone to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions (sample introduction, reagent mixing, measurement, and disposal) into a single integrated test element cartridge. This merging eliminates the need for separate manual operations with cuvettes, pipettes, and photometers, thereby improving ease of operation while the integrated design manages the complexity internally through automated mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The test element is designed as a self-contained unit that automatically performs sample intake, reagent mixing, and measurement without requiring manual intervention. The automated pump system and pre-loaded reagents enable the system to service itself, improving operational convenience while the internal automation handles the complexity of coordination between components.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If manual handling of key reagent is used, then the system is simple, but health and environmental hazards increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hazardous key reagent is extracted from the operator's environment and sealed within the test element cartridge. The reagent is pre-loaded and isolated in a controlled environment, preventing exposure to operators while the automated system handles it. This extraction eliminates health and environmental hazards associated with manual reagent handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated pump system acts as an intermediary between the operator and the hazardous reagent. Instead of direct manual handling, the pump system mediates the transfer and mixing of reagents, creating a barrier that protects operators from exposure while maintaining the functionality of the analysis system.
3Ease of operation
If automated pump system is used, then handling convenience is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pump system is merged with the test element cartridge as an integrated unit rather than a separate external device. This integration reduces the overall system complexity by eliminating additional connections and control mechanisms, while still providing automated sample handling and reagent mixing functions that improve ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A test element for a mobile water analyzing system includes a sample line and a key reagent disposed in the sample line. The sample line includes an inlet opening arranged at a first end, a pump port arranged at a second end of the sample line, an inlet section arranged between the inlet opening and the pump port, and a measuring section with at least one window arranged at an end of the measuring section. The inlet opening receives a water sample. The measuring section is arranged between the inlet section and the pump port and is coincident with a sample pathway.