Blood Processing Filter with Flow Channel Securing Sheet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional blood processing filters with flexible containers face issues such as adherence between the outlet-side container and filter element due to negative pressure, leading to inhibited blood flow and reduced filtering performance, which complicates the manufacturing process and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A blood processing filter design featuring a sheet-like filter element sandwiched by inlet and outlet flexible containers, with a flow channel securing sheet that includes flow channel holes to maintain a continuous empty space and prevent adherence, ensuring high flow rates and filtering performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a flexible container is used for the leukocyte removal filter, then steam sterilization becomes possible and compatibility with blood collection-separation sets improves, but the container may adhere to the filter element during centrifugation due to negative pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by forming a recess in the filter element before the actual filtering operation. This recess is created during the manufacturing process, ensuring that when negative pressure occurs during centrifugation, the flexible container has a predetermined space to deform into without adhering to the filter element surface, thus preventing the harmful effect before it can occur
Solution Approach 2:
The recess structure acts as a cushioning space that absorbs the negative pressure effects during centrifugation. By providing this pre-formed void space, the patent cushions against the adverse effects of pressure differential that would otherwise cause the flexible container to adhere to the filter element
2Productivity
If the filter element is made larger to improve filtering performance, then leukocyte removal efficiency increases, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a conventional flat filter element design to a three-dimensional structure with recesses. This dimensional change allows the filter element to maintain larger surface area for improved filtering performance while the recesses provide functional benefits of preventing adherence and managing pressure differentials during operation
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 design effectively prevents adherence between the outlet-side container and filter element, allowing for high filtering flow rates and performance while simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
adherence between the outlet-side container and filter element due to negative pressure
Implementation Method 2
a filter element (5) made from nonwoven fabric or a porous body
Data Source
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AI summary
This invention relates to a blood processing filter comprising a sheet-like filter element, an inlet-side flexible container and an outlet-side flexible container that sandwich the filter element and are sealed thereto, an inlet port provided in the inlet-side flexible container for accepting blood before being processed by the filter element, and an outlet port provided in the outlet-side flexible container for discharging blood after being processed by the filter element. The blood processing filter also includes a flow channel securing sheet arranged between the filter element and the outlet-side flexible container. A flow channel hole through which blood processed by the filter element passes is formed in the flow channel securing sheet. The outlet port is provided so as to be capable of communicating with the flow channel hole.