Blood Collection Container Centrifuge Cup Interface
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical containers for blood collection and processing are inefficient in balancing and loading blood packs into centrifuges, leading to potential breakage and disruption of the red blood cell and plasma interface during handling and centrifugation, and require off-chart recording for data management.
Innovation Solution
The development of medical containers that are sized and shaped to correspond to centrifuge cups, allowing for balanced blood packs to be stored and processed within the containers, featuring a divider for compartmentalization, removable tabs for weight adjustment, and a processing label for data integration, which reduces handling errors and eliminates the need for off-chart recording through automated sorting and processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If blood packs are handled manually during collection and processing, then flexibility in operation is maintained, but handling errors and potential breakage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blood pack is nested within a container that fits into a centrifuge cup, creating a protected inner structure. The container holds the blood pack securely during handling and centrifugation, preventing breakage while maintaining operational flexibility through standardized interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The container acts as an intermediary between the blood pack and the external environment (hands, centrifuge). It provides a stable interface for manual handling while protecting the fragile blood pack, and simultaneously interfaces with the centrifuge cup for automated processing.
2Productivity
If traditional blood pack containers are used, then storage is simple, but loading and unloading centrifuges becomes inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The container is designed to serve multiple functions: it stores the blood pack, provides a handle for manual handling, interfaces with the centrifuge cup for automated loading, and maintains structural integrity during centrifugation. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components and improves productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is divided into functional segments: a body for holding the blood pack, a handle for manual operation, and a centrifuge cup interface for automated processing. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together as an integrated system.
3Loss of information
If off-chart recording is used for blood data management, then flexibility in data tracking is maintained, but errors and data management complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The container includes an integrated label that automatically identifies the blood pack and provides tracking information. The label serves itself by containing all necessary data (donor ID, collection time, blood type) in a machine-readable format, eliminating the need for separate off-chart recording systems and reducing human error.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of manual writing and copying of data, the system uses machine-readable labels (optical copies of data) that can be automatically read and processed. This digital copying approach maintains data accuracy while enabling automated tracking without requiring manual intervention.
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
This solution streamlines the blood collection and processing workflow by reducing handling errors, increasing efficiency in loading and unloading centrifuges, and enabling automatic triage and data management, thus enhancing the safety and speed of blood component separation and processing.
Implementation Method 1
A blood pack may include a needle fluidly coupled to a primary blood collection container. Additionally, the blood pack may include a plurality of transfer bags and a container containing a red blood cell preservative solution all, or some of which, may be fluidly coupled to the primary blood collection container. In practice, whole blood may be transferred from a donor via the needle to the primary blood collection container. Once the whole blood has been collected, a plurality of blood packs containing whole blood may be loaded into a centrifuge to separate plasma from red blood cells
Data Source
AI summary
Medical containers for use in blood collection and processing and medical systems, methods and apparatus for use in blood collection and processing are described. An example medical container to be used during blood collection and processing, the medical container includes an elongated body defining a compartment and a base coupled at a first end of the elongated body. Additionally, the medical container includes a divider extending through the compartment to separate the compartment into a first subcompartment and a second subcompartment, the divider comprising a first material and the elongated body comprising a second material, the first material being relatively more rigid than the second material, the first subcompartment and the subsecond compartment each to accommodate blood pack components.