Animal Urine Collection Casing with Tilting Receptacles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for collecting and analyzing animal urine, such as using urine strips, are prone to errors due to variable urine quality and animal stress, which can lead to inaccurate diagnoses in veterinary settings.
Innovation Solution
A casing with two receptacles separated by a partition and a tilting mechanism that allows urine to flow between them, enabling controlled soaking of test strips and improving analysis quality, combined with a device that mimics a litter tray for comfortable urine collection, facilitating easy and stress-free urine collection by pet owners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If urine is collected during veterinary appointments, then the analysis can be performed immediately, but the urine quality is variable due to animal stress, physical effort, and hydration status
Solution Approach 1:
The device enables preliminary urine collection at home under optimal conditions (animal at rest, appropriate hydration) before veterinary analysis. The collection container with controlled release mechanism allows the urine sample to be prepared in advance and transported to the veterinarian, ensuring high-quality samples without stress-induced variations.
2Ease of operation
If tubes are used to collect urine directly, then the collection process is simple, but the tubes trouble the animal and can encourage them to retain their urine
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a litter tray as an intermediary element between the animal and the collection container. The tray naturally guides urine flow toward the collection container without direct contact between the animal and collection tubes, eliminating stress while maintaining collection effectiveness. The litter tray mimics the animal's natural environment, making the process comfortable and stress-free.
3Quantity of substance
If the animal is monitored during urination, then urine can be collected, but the animal requires constant attention and the process becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The device enables self-service urine collection by the animal without human monitoring. The litter tray with integrated collection container allows the animal to urinate naturally into the system independently. The design includes automatic features such as gravity-fed collection and controlled release mechanisms that eliminate the need for continuous human supervision while ensuring adequate sample collection.
4Measurement precision
If multiple receptacles are used for urine collection and analysis, then the analysis quality improves through controlled soaking, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into functionally distinct receptacles: a collection receptacle for receiving urine, a storage receptacle for holding the urine sample, and an analysis receptacle for strip soaking. Each receptacle performs a specific function in the urine analysis workflow. The segmentation allows controlled transfer of urine between receptacles and enables precise control over the soaking process, improving analysis quality while maintaining manageable complexity through clear functional separation.
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 solution enhances the quality of urine analysis by ensuring the urine is collected under optimal conditions, reducing stress and physical effort for the animal, and allows for better monitoring of health issues through improved urine collection and analysis methods.
Implementation Method 1
a first configuration in which, when the passage is open, the urine flows as a result of gravity into the first receptacle and a second configuration in which, when the passage is open, the urine flows as a result of gravity into the second receptacle
Data Source
AI summary
The casing for capturing and analysing animal urine comprises a first urine receptacle (188) and a second urine receptacle (191) which is provided with a support (187) for a strip (195) which carries test specimens comprising reagents, the receptacles being separated by a partition wall (156) which is provided with a passage (157), and at least one support which forms a tilting axis between:a first configuration in which, when the passage is open, the urine flows as a result of gravity into the first receptacle anda second configuration in which, when the passage is open, the urine flows as a result of gravity into the second receptacle.