Water-Soluble Nozzle Tip Dissolution for Safe Sample Dispensing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional sample dispensing apparatuses face issues with nozzle tip disposal, where the sharp ends can pierce plastic bags and cause safety hazards, and the hollow shape leads to low space filling, resulting in inefficient waste volume reduction and discarding errors.

Innovation Solution

The apparatus uses nozzle tips made of water-soluble materials that can be dissolved in a discarding box, either with water or chemical liquids, preventing accumulation and ensuring safe disposal by eliminating the need for separate bags and reducing waste volume.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If nozzle tips are collected in a plastic bag, then safety is improved by avoiding piercing, but space filling rate deteriorates due to hollow shape

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepiercing riskVSAvoidspace filling rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The nozzle tip material is changed from conventional non-degradable plastic to water-soluble plastic, fundamentally altering its physical and chemical parameters. This enables the tip to dissolve in water within the discarding box, transforming from a persistent solid waste into a soluble material that can be disposed of in liquid form, thereby achieving both safety and space efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If nozzle tips are discarded in a discarding box, then disposal simplicity is improved, but discarding errors occur when tips stick out or overlap

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvediscarding operationVSAvoiddiscarding accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

By changing the material parameter to water-soluble plastic, the nozzle tips dissolve in the water contained in the discarding box. This eliminates the physical presence of solid tips that could stick out or overlap, ensuring reliable and error-free discarding operations while maintaining simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The mechanical disposal system (collecting solid tips in a box) is replaced with a chemical dissolution system. Instead of relying on proper placement and compression of solid tips, the solution uses water to chemically dissolve the tips, eliminating mechanical discarding errors

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If nozzle tips are made sharp for dispensing function, then dispensing performance is improved, but safety deteriorates due to piercing risk

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedispensing functionVSAvoidpiercing risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The material parameter is changed to water-soluble plastic, which allows the tip to maintain a sharp geometry for effective sample dispensing during use, then automatically dissolve after disposal. This temporal separation of properties resolves the contradiction between needing sharpness for function and avoiding sharpness for safety

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 safe, efficient, and compact disposal of used nozzle tips, preventing discarding errors and reducing waste volume, while ensuring safety by dissolving the tips in the discarding box, thus avoiding piercing risks and unnecessary packaging.

Implementation Method 1

the nozzle tip is made of a water-soluble material and is dissolved in the water in the discarding box

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDissolution: Solvation

Implementation Method 2

The apparatus uses nozzle tips made of water-soluble materials that can be dissolved in a discarding box, either with water or chemical liquids

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectChemical dissolution: Hydrolysis

Data Source

PatentUS10451643B2Sample dispensing device and nozzle tip for sample dispensing device

Publication Date: 2019.10.22 HITACHI HIGH TECH CORP

AI summary

The sample dispensing device sucks a liquid sample from a predetermined container and then discharges the sample to another container. The sample dispensing device includes a nozzle tip that sucks and holds the sample; a dispensing nozzle to which the nozzle tip can be detachably attached via a fitting part; a dispensing nozzle position control means that controls the position of the dispensing nozzle with respect to the predetermined container and the other container; a nozzle tip removing means that removes the nozzle tip from the dispensing nozzle; and a discarding box into which water can be supplied, and in which the nozzle tip removed from the dispensing nozzle is discarded. The nozzle tip is made of a water-soluble material, and after being removed from the dispensing nozzle by the nozzle tip removing means, the nozzle tip is dissolved by water in the discarding box.