Zackary Lapointe - NIR Spectroscopy Probe Holder

NIR Spectroscopy Probe Holder

A week before my manager at E Ink was set to leave for China to do some testing demonstrations, he realized he needed a small probe holder to do repeated near-IR spectroscopy measurements at a consistent 45-degree angle. Looking for more design work, I was excited to tackle the challenge and rapidly prototype the holder until my manager's needs were met.

Problem

Design a portable, near-IR spectroscopy probe holder for taking measurements at a consistent 45-degree angle
3D print iterations of the design and test them with the probe to determine what needs to change
Produce a final design with a short working deadline of 7 days, when my manager would be flying to China to perform testing demonstrations with it

Actions for Early Prototypes

First prototype was a simple triangular prism with a 45-degree angle; it was too wide which made it tough to properly align with sample
Second prototype was a much narrower version of the original; despite it being smaller it was still difficult to align because there were no alignment indicators
Third prototype featured a triangular base because I believed the if the tip of the probe was at the top point of the triangle it would be an easy, built-in indicator to align the sample; this new design became unstable with the probe because the overall shape of it changed

Actions for Final Designs

Fourth prototype utilized the same triangular base to improve the accuracy of measurements but was wider and longer to give the probe more material to sit in, making it more secure
The final design was the same as the previous prototype but it added a small view hole directly above the tip of the probe so you could visually determine if the probe was properly aligned

Results

After rapidly prototyping the probe holder and testing each iteration, a final design was approved and the part was 3D printed for my manager's trip
I struggled with creating reference geometry while designing some prototypes but after enough practice was able to successfully create the reference planes I needed for the design I wanted to create

Skills Developed

SolidWorks skills, specifically using reference geometry to get particular shapes/features
3D printing techniques and rapid prototyping them
Working within a short turnaround time and communicating with my peers quickly to get constant feedback to develop the next iterative prototype

Top view of holder featuring the view hole for accurate placement of probe

View from side/bottom of holder demonstrating how the probe takes measurements at a 45-degree angle

View showing how the probe enters from the rectangular front side and takes measurements from the triangular base