Blood Treatment Filter Peripheral Edge Sealing Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional blood treatment filters experience reduced effective filtering area and blood recovery rates due to wrinkling and compression of filtering materials at the peripheral edges, leading to inefficiencies in filtration and increased residual blood.

Innovation Solution

A blood treatment filter design featuring a peripheral edge molded body that suppresses collapse and maintains the hole structure, with a connection sheet extending from the molded body to the housing, ensuring a large effective filtering area and minimizing gaps between the filter and housing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the peripheral edge portion of the filter member is sealed by high-frequency fusion with pressurization, then the filter member is securely connected to the housing, but the filtering material is wrinkled and the hole structure is crushed, reducing the effective filtering area

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecure connection of filter memberVSAvoideffective filtering area
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing structure is divided into two distinct components: a peripheral edge molded body that provides mechanical support and a separate connection sheet that provides sealing. This segmentation allows the molded body to maintain the filtering material's structure while the connection sheet handles the sealing function, preventing both wrinkles and hole structure damage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The peripheral edge molded body acts as an intermediary element between the filter member and the housing. It provides a rigid frame that supports the filtering material at the edges, preventing collapse and maintaining the hole structure, while allowing the connection sheet to seal without directly compressing the filtering material.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the peripheral edge portion is compressed during sealing, then the filter member is secured, but extra gaps are created between the filter member and housing, increasing residual blood

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecure connection of filter memberVSAvoidblood recovery rate
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing system is segmented into the peripheral edge molded body (for structural support) and the connection sheet (for sealing). This allows the connection sheet to create a seal against the housing without the need to compress the filtering material, thereby preventing gap formation and reducing residual blood.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The connection sheet functions as a flexible sealing element that can conform to the housing surface and create an effective seal. This thin film approach allows sealing to be achieved without rigid compression of the filter member, preventing gap formation that would lead to residual blood.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Reliability

If the filtering material is wrinkled at the peripheral edge, then the sealing is achieved, but the filtering function is reduced in that area

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing effectivenessVSAvoidfiltering function at peripheral edge
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing function is separated from the filtering function by using distinct components: the peripheral edge molded body maintains the filtering material's integrity, while the connection sheet provides sealing. This segmentation ensures that sealing effectiveness is achieved without compromising the filtering function at the peripheral edge.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The peripheral edge molded body serves as an intermediary structure that supports the filtering material at the edges, preventing wrinkles and maintaining the hole structure. This allows the connection sheet to seal effectively without directly contacting and deforming the filtering material.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3417893B1Blood treatment filter and blood bag system
Publication Date: 2023.05.17 TERUMO KK
  • EP3417893B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3417893B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3417893B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A blood treatment filter (30A) includes a housing (52) having a first resin sheet (68) and a second resin sheet (70), a filter member (58) disposed in the housing (52), a peripheral edge molded body (64) formed on a peripheral edge portion of the filter member (58) and having an inner peripheral portion joined to an outer peripheral end edge of a filtering material (74), and a connection sheet (66) extending outward from the peripheral edge molded body (64) and connected to the housing (52) .