Vibrating Cuvette Mixing for Process Photometer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing process photometer arrangements face challenges in achieving homogeneous mixing of raw liquid samples with reagents within cuvettes, especially in micro-fluidic applications, which limits measurement frequency and increases reagent consumption due to the need for separate rotating mixing bodies that complicate flushing and cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A photometer arrangement with a cuvette body that is movable and equipped with a vibration device to homogeneously mix the sample within the cuvette cavity, eliminating the need for a separate mixing body, allowing for rapid and efficient mixing of reagents with the liquid sample, even in small cuvette volumes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a separate rotating mixing body is used within the cuvette cavity to actively mix the raw liquid sample with the reagent, then the mixing speed and homogeneity are improved, but the device complexity increases and the flushing and cleaning of the cuvette cavity becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing function is extracted from a separate rotating mixing body and transferred to the cuvette body itself. The cuvette body is designed with movable support elements that enable it to perform mixing motions directly, eliminating the need for an additional mixing component within the cuvette cavity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mixing function is merged with the cuvette body structure. The cuvette body is movably supported by elastic spring sheet elements that allow the cuvette body to oscillate or vibrate, thereby achieving mixing without requiring a separate mixing mechanism.
2Productivity
If a separate rotating mixing body is used within the cuvette cavity to quickly mix the sample with reagent, then the measurement frequency can be increased, but the flushing and cleaning of the cuvette cavity becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing function is extracted from a separate rotating mixing body and transferred to the cuvette body itself. The cuvette body is designed with movable support elements that enable it to perform mixing motions directly, eliminating the need for an additional mixing component within the cuvette cavity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cuvette body is made dynamically movable rather than stationary. It is supported by elastic spring sheet elements that allow the cuvette body to oscillate or vibrate during the mixing process, enabling quick mixing without permanent internal structures that would hinder cleaning.
3Speed
If a separate rotating mixing body is used within the cuvette, then rapid mixing is achieved, but it is not available for micro-fluidic applications allowing to reduce the reagent consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The cuvette body is made dynamically movable rather than stationary. It is supported by elastic spring sheet elements that allow the cuvette body to oscillate or vibrate during the mixing process, enabling quick mixing without permanent internal structures that would hinder cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention provides a universal mixing solution that works for both large and small cuvette volumes. The movable cuvette body mechanism can be applied to micro-fluidic applications with very small sample volumes, enabling rapid mixing without requiring a separate mixing body that would be incompatible with miniaturized systems.
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
This solution enables high-frequency photometric measurements with reduced reagent consumption and efficient cleaning, suitable for micro-fluidic applications by ensuring quick and thorough mixing of the sample within the cuvette cavity, facilitating continuous or batch-wise operation.
Implementation Method 1
The cuvette unit is also provided with a cuvette vibration device for vibrating the cuvette body to thereby homogenously mix the prepared liquid volume within the cuvette cavity
Implementation Method 2
The cuvette body support element can be, for example, one or more elastic spring sheet or any other means which is suitable to movably support the cuvette body
Implementation Method 3
a photometer unit for optically measuring a light absorbance of a prepared liquid sample within the cuvette unit
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a process photometer arrangement (10) with a photometric cuvette unit (20) comprising a cuvette body (24) defining a cuvette cavity (25) and a combined sample inlet/outlet opening (34), a photometer light inlet window (60) and a photometer light outlet window (62). The cuvette body (24) is movably supported by a cuvette body support element (88) and the cuvette unit (20) is provided with a cuvette vibration device (80) for vibrating the cuvette body (24) to thereby quickly and homogenously mix a liquid sample volume (31) within the cuvette cavity (25) without any separate mixing element within the cuvette cavity. This allows a short mixing action within a microfluidic cuvette.