The integration of a touchscreen display on laboratory dehydrators fundamentally transforms the user interaction from a "decentralized, fixed hardware logic" to a "centralized, variable software logic."
1. Visual Editing and Management of Program Workflows
Application Scenario: Technicians must configure distinct dehydration protocols for different tissue samples (e.g., routine tissue, bone, brain tissue), each involving processing times and sequences for over a dozen reagents.
Touchscreen display Implementation: All steps are displayed as a clear list on the screen. Users can directly tap to edit any step's duration or flexibly adjust the workflow using "Insert" and "Delete" buttons. Frequently used programs can be named and saved (e.g., "P01-Standard Overnight," "P02-Rapid Bone") for one-click recall.
2. Transparent Monitoring of Equipment Operation Status
Application Scenario: During dehydrator operations lasting over ten hours, technicians require real-time progress tracking to schedule subsequent paraffin embedding tasks.
Touchscreen display Implementation: The main interface dynamically displays the current program name, step number (e.g., "Step 5/12: Anhydrous Ethanol"), remaining time for the current step, and total remaining time, supplemented by an intuitive progress bar. This transforms waiting from a "black box" into a "predictable schedule."
3. Precise Fault Diagnosis and Guidance
Application Scenario: Equipment alarms traditionally trigger only a red light.
Touchscreen display Implementation: The screen directly pops up an alert box displaying specific text messages, such as "Alarm: Abnormal temperature in paraffin tank #1" or "Warning: Dehydration basket shaft not properly positioned." This instantly narrows troubleshooting from dozens of potential causes to one specific issue, significantly boosting maintenance efficiency.
4. Secure Parameter Calibration and Maintenance Management
Application Scenario: Equipment requires periodic time calibration, sensor calibration, etc.
Touchscreen display Implementation: Access the engineer menu via password to perform calibration directly on-screen through numerical input, while recording maintenance logs. Also enables setting reminders for next maintenance, facilitating preventive maintenance.
Replacing traditional function buttons with a touchscreen is not merely a superficial upgrade—it delivers fundamental improvements in both user experience and functionality:
【Liberation of Space and Layout】: Achieving "Compact Panel, Expanded Functionality"
Traditional Buttons: Each function (start, stop, step 1 time setting, etc.) requires a separate physical component. As functions increase, the panel grows larger, more complex, and more confusing.
Touchscreen display Advantage: The screen serves as a universal display and input device, capable of hosting virtually unlimited functions through multi-level menus without requiring additional physical space. This enables even complex dehydrators to maintain a clean, uncluttered appearance.
【Ultimate Flexibility】: Achieving "Customizable Functions, Adaptable Interface"
Traditional Buttons: Button functions are rigidly defined at the factory and cannot be altered. Adding new features necessitates redesigning the panel and circuitry.
Touchscreen display Advantage: Buttons are virtual keys "drawn" on the screen, whose functions and labels can be changed at any time based on different operating modes (e.g., run mode, setup mode). Today it is a "time increase key"; tomorrow, through a software upgrade, it can become a "temperature adjustment key." This allows the device to adapt to new future requirements.
【Intuitive Operation and Error Tolerance】: Achieving "What You See Is What You Get"
Traditional Buttons: Setting time requires repeatedly pressing "+" and "-" buttons, making it easy to over-adjust and impossible to intuitively see the entire program overview.
Touchscreen display Advantage: Users can directly modify entries in the program list and immediately see the overall effect of changes. Additionally, the touchscreen prevents errors through logical interlocks—for example, automatically hiding or disabling program edit buttons during operation—fundamentally eliminating the risk of accidental interruptions.
【Integrated Information Display】: Achieving "Unified Control and Status"
Traditional Buttons: Control (buttons) and status indication (LEDs, seven-segment displays) are separate. After pressing a button, users may need to look elsewhere at an indicator light to confirm the status.
Touchscreen display Advantage: Control keys and status information are tightly integrated within the same display area. For example, the time setting area corresponding to the currently running step is highlighted, allowing users to instantly grasp "what I pressed" and "what is happening now," achieving extremely high human-machine interaction efficiency.
Replacing traditional function buttons with a touchscreen represents an evolution for laboratory dehydrators—transitioning from fixed-function instruments to intelligent platforms. Its value extends beyond being "more modern." It tangibly addresses core pain points inherent in traditional interfaces—complexity, rigidity, error-prone operation, and information opacity—through space optimization, functional flexibility, intuitive interaction, and information integration. This significantly enhances the accuracy, efficiency, and manageability of laboratory work.