Biological Sample Carrier Heat Transfer Segment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Biological samples degrade quickly and unevenly during storage and analysis, making it difficult to maintain their integrity and requiring rapid, uniform, and controlled heating to disrupt secondary structures without damaging the primary structures.
Innovation Solution
A device with a biological sample carrier and heat transfer segment that allows for rapid and uniform heating of biological samples, featuring a sealing mechanism for air-tight protection, a heat transfer segment with high conductivity, and a pressure difference system to ensure efficient heat transfer and prevent contamination, enabling heat inactivation within 2-4 minutes of sampling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If heating is applied to inactivate biological samples, then enzymatic degradation is inhibited, but the primary structures may be degraded and irreversible changes occur
Solution Approach 1:
The device precisely controls heating parameters (temperature, time, uniformity) to achieve effective inactivation while preventing sample degradation. The system maintains temperature within a narrow optimal range to disrupt secondary structures without damaging primary structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates temperature monitoring and control mechanisms that provide feedback to adjust heating conditions in real-time, ensuring the sample reaches the required temperature for inactivation without exceeding it and causing irreversible damage.
2Productivity
If heating is applied rapidly to inactivate biological samples, then degradation is prevented, but uneven heating results in inconsistent treatment throughout the sample
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system is divided into multiple heating zones or elements that can be independently controlled, allowing each segment to contribute to uniform overall heating. This segmentation enables rapid heating while maintaining consistency across the entire sample.
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from single-point or surface heating to three-dimensional volumetric heating through multiple heating elements positioned around the sample, ensuring uniform temperature distribution throughout the entire sample volume during rapid heating.
3Temperature
If heating temperature is increased to ensure effective inactivation, then secondary structures are disrupted, but primary structures are destroyed making analysis impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The device precisely controls the temperature parameter within a narrow optimal range that is sufficient to disrupt secondary structures for effective inactivation but remains below the threshold that would damage primary structures. This precise parameter control enables the system to achieve the desired effect without crossing into harmful territory.
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
The device effectively inactivates biological samples by disrupting secondary structures while protecting them from contamination and degradation, allowing for efficient handling, storage, and analysis without causing irreversible changes to the primary structures.
Implementation Method 1
a heat transfer segment (11) that extends at least essentially through at least one of the portion (7) and the sealing means (9, 13, 15)
Implementation Method 2
Heating disrupts the secondary structures of enzymes, such as proteases, lipases and phosphorylases, thereby inhibiting enzymatic degradation of the biological sample
Implementation Method 3
a pressure difference system to ensure efficient heat transfer and prevent contamination
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
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AI summary
A device for storing a biological sample (3) and allowing transfer of heat for disrupting secondary structures of the biological sample (3) is disclosed. It comprises a biological sample carrier (5) having a portion (7). The portion (7) is intended for receiving a biological sample (3). It also comprises at least one sealing means (9, 13, 15) for sealing the portion (7), a heat transfer segment (11) that extends at least essentially through at least one of the portion (7) and the sealing means (9, 13, 15), and presents a ratio between a heat conductivity of and a thickness of the heat transfer segment (11) that is larger than 500 W/m K in order to enable heat transfer to the biological sample (3) via the heat transfer segment (11). Also, a method for preparing the biological sample (3) is disclosed.