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Development of Mechanical Systems for Automated Medical Slide Specimen Storage and Retrieval
Wurtz, Joshua James
Wurtz, Joshua James
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Abstract
Applying automation to any system or process has the capability of improving reliability and efficiency, and reducing cost and amount of human time/labor necessary. The concept of automation applied to the medical field is especially promising and intriguing considering that improving medical systems can save the lives of patients. The Intelligent System and Automation Laboratory at the University of Kansas has created a prototype machine with the goal of making the process of medical slide specimen storage and retrieval fully automated in order to make clinical laboratories and other similar laboratories better at processing specimens and diagnosing patients. In order to achieve this goal, the machine required three subassembly systems to be designed and integrated together. The specimen storage and retrieval is based on medical slides being stored from and retrieved into 20 slot slide folders. The first subsystem, known as the Folder Movement System, was designed to move these slide folders into position for the second system, known as the Folder Opening/Holding System, to take over and open the slide folders. The third system, known as the Slide Movement System, is then free to manipulate the slides into or out of the folders. A storage and slide inventory system was also developed. Each system was tested and proven to be effective and reliable individually. While the individual subsystems have been proven to be reliable, the integration of these systems is not reliable enough to achieve a fully automated storage and retrieval process. While this prototype has shown success further development is necessary to reach the ultimate goal of full automation. This prototype machine provides an excellent platform for future progress towards making automation a standard in the medical field.
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Date
2014-05-31
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University of Kansas
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Keywords
Engineering, Automation, Clinical, Machine, Retrieval, Slides, Storage