Link to our updated Pugh Matrix
Brainstorming Ideas:
We started out with several main ideas, then created a few sub-ideas by making small changes to existing ideas.
| Product | Description |
| Conveyor | A conveyor belt that moves a test tube or other liquid receiving receptacle to differents stops where an automated dispenser releases the exact amount of liquid needed |
| Capillary action | To draw liquid into the pipette, the device relies on capillary action instead of mechanical force. |
| Pipette Reloader (with tips preloaded and ready in pipette) | A version of a classic pipette where there are already tips inside of the pipette ready to go, so all you have to do to get a new sterile tip is remove the tip that has been used. This will save time in the tip reloading process |
| Pipette Reloader (with tips on the side with liquid pre-prepared in the tips) | Instead of needing to fill the pipette tips with a given volume after every aspiration, the tips on the side can be prepared ahead of time with given volumes to cut down on time spent in the lab. |
| Drain | A system that holds liquid with many covered holes; under each of these holes is the liquid receiving receptacle; when liquid is to be dispensed, all holes will be opened at the same time so an equal amount of liquid is dispersed to each container |
| Tube system | The solution can be placed into a volume that branches into tubes of even volumes, the end of the tubes may be placed into the different solutions required to be pipetted. |
| Automated Liquid Handler/Robot | Pipetting machine that is controlled through a central control center. The machine’s movements(speed and volume) are dictated by code that the user inputs into the control center |
| Powder Pipetter with adding liquid after to rehydrate | Liquids or fluids that require pipetting are dehydrated prior to use and can be constituted with water or other appropriate solvent after transferral. |
| Multi-pipette tip | Pipettes only allow a single pipette tip per use. The multiple pipette tip will allow for 3+ pipette tips that canAttach to the pipette, and the samples can be aligned to each tip |
| Process drainer | A draining system that disperses a given volume into smaller evenly shaped cylinders. The drain will split the volumes into each hole evenly and allow for the samples to be placed under the draining system. |
| Multiple Stops | Pipettes only have one stop, and by allowing multiple stops per pipette – a given volume can be dispensed multiple times – multiple samples can be pipetted by filling the pipette with a higher volume and dispersing the volume across samples without needing to aspirate and/or remove the pipette tip |
Deciding on Criteria
| Criteria | Weight | Description |
| Ease of use | 3 | Is not difficult to use, has an intuitive design that does not require extensive instruction. |
| Maintenance | 3 | Is not difficult to maintain sterility and is not difficult to prepare to use |
| Efficiency (samples/min) | 5 | Can be used to produce samples quickly, within seconds |
| Accuracy | 5 | The measurement of fluid produced is accurate to the amount of liquid anticipated, with minimal residue. |
| Spaciousness | 2 | Does not take up a lot of space in the lab |
| Affordability | 3 | Costs less over a long period of time (price/use) |
| Durability (temperature, forces, etc.) | 3 | The product resists significant damage from drops, significant temperature changes, etc. |
| Usage Limit | 4 | Can be reused multiple times with different experiments |
| Sterility/ cytocompatibility/ nonreactive | 5 | Does not react with chemicals placed in the product. Eliminates possible extra cominants from inhabiting the product. Product does not unintentionally harm organisms. |
| Aesthetic/Visually integrates with other lab equipment | 1 | Visually cohesive with other lab equipment. Does not distract others in the lab. |
Now, we have our brainstormed ideas and criteria to evaluate them on. We entered these into a Pugh Matrix to determine which to use.
Conclusion:
Our Pugh matrix ended with our multiple stops pipette having the highest score. Although we need to discuss some more as a group, this seems like a good option for our project. The weight for each criteria was determined based on the original problem statement and user needs. For instance, pipetting efficiency and volume accuracy weighed significantly higher than spaciousness because the project aims for efficient pipetting with high accuracy.
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