Buffy Coat Extraction Kit with Segmented Tube and Pusher
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional buffy coat extraction kits struggle to accurately extract the buffy coat layer from centrifuged blood due to its small volume ratio and are prone to contamination from manual handling, with existing centrifuge tubes not effectively controlling the buffy coat layer or preventing lateral movements during centrifugation.
Innovation Solution
A buffy coat extraction kit with a cylindrical main body featuring distinct sections for plasma, buffy coat, and erythrocyte layers, including a lower gasket and pusher mechanism for precise repositioning of the buffy coat layer and a closed system to prevent contamination, along with supporting ribs to minimize lateral movements and maintain the buffy coat layer during centrifugation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional centrifuge tubes with uniform inner diameter are used, then the centrifugation process is simple, but the buffy coat layer cannot be accurately extracted due to its small volume ratio (1%) and lack of effective control
Solution Approach 1:
The centrifuge tube is divided into three distinct sections with different inner diameters: a first section for plasma layer, a second section for buffy coat layer with smaller diameter, and a third section for erythrocyte layer. This segmentation allows the buffy coat layer to be concentrated in a smaller volume, making it easier to identify and extract accurately despite its small proportion in whole blood.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the centrifuge tube have different inner diameters tailored to the specific requirements of each blood layer. The second section has a smaller inner diameter specifically designed to concentrate and control the buffy coat layer, while other sections have different dimensions suitable for their respective layers. This local differentiation improves extraction precision without requiring complete redesign of the entire tube.
2Reliability
If manual handling is used to extract buffy coat layer, then the operation is simple, but contamination occurs from manual handling
Solution Approach 1:
A pusher mechanism is introduced as an intermediary tool to interact with the lower gasket and control the buffy coat layer's position. This allows operators to manipulate and extract the buffy coat layer without direct manual contact, reducing contamination risk while maintaining operational control through a mechanical interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower gasket automatically moves in response to centrifugal force to concentrate and position the buffy coat layer in the second section. This self-positioning mechanism reduces the need for manual intervention during the separation process, thereby minimizing contamination opportunities while maintaining ease of operation through automatic layer concentration.
3Reliability
If the centrifuge container is opened for extraction, then the access is easy, but contamination risk increases from exposure to air
Solution Approach 1:
The pusher mechanism serves as an intermediary that enables extraction through a controlled interface (the opening in the sealed container) without requiring full opening of the container. This maintains the sealed environment to prevent contamination while still allowing the buffy coat layer to be accessed and extracted through the designated opening.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffy coat layer is extracted through a specifically designed opening in the sealed container rather than opening the entire container. This selective extraction approach maintains the sealed environment for most of the container, preventing contamination while providing adequate access to the target layer through the controlled opening.
4Stability of the object's composition
If conventional centrifuge tubes are used, then the device is simple, but lateral movements occur during centrifugation affecting buffy coat integrity
Solution Approach 1:
The centrifuge tube is segmented into three sections with different diameters, creating a more stable configuration during centrifugation. The varied diameter structure reduces lateral movements and improves the stability of the buffy coat layer composition by confining it within the smaller-diameter second section, preventing mixing with adjacent layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The centrifuge tube employs asymmetric diameter changes along its length, with the second section having a smaller diameter than the first and third sections. This asymmetric design creates better centrifugal stability and reduces lateral movements during rotation, thereby maintaining the integrity and composition of the buffy coat layer without requiring complex external stabilization mechanisms.
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
Enables accurate identification and extraction of the buffy coat layer by the naked eye, reduces contamination risks, and maintains the buffy coat's integrity by preventing manual handling and lateral disturbances during centrifugation, ensuring effective PRP treatment.
Implementation Method 1
When a contained solution of various mixed substances, particularly, collected blood of human being or animal is centrifuged, erythrocyte, leukocyte, blood platelet and other blood plasma in the blood are orderly positioned in layers in the order of weight with the heaviest fraction layered at the bottom of the container due to their inherent difference in specific gravity.
Implementation Method 2
erythrocyte, leukocyte, blood platelet and other blood plasma in the blood are orderly positioned in layers in the order of weight with the heaviest fraction layered at the bottom of the container due to their inherent difference in specific gravity
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a buffy coat extraction kit including: a kit body having a cylindrical plasma part that has an internal volume for forming a plasma layer, a cylindrical buffy coat part which extends in the longitudinal direction while communicating with the lower part of the plasma part and has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the plasma part and an internal volume for forming a buffy coat layer, and a cylindrical erythrocyte part which extends in the longitudinal direction while communicating with the lower part of the buffy coat part and has a diameter larger than the diameter of the buffy coat part and an internal volume for forming an erythrocyte layer, wherein the free end part of the plasma part and the free end part of the erythrocyte part are respectively opened; a lower packing movably accommodated in the erythrocyte part while maintaining an air-tight state; and a pusher moving the lower packing.