Thawing Device With Buoyant Pouch For Plasma Contamination Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for thawing and heating medical products like plasma or frozen blood are prone to bacterial contamination, slow thawing times, and structural complexity, which complicates optimal temperature control and handling.
Innovation Solution
A device with a main tank for heating liquid and multiple secondary tanks with pouches having floppy walls, where heating liquid is pumped to surround the product, providing buoyancy for efficient heat transfer and independent temperature control for each pouch, along with temperature sensors for precise monitoring and storage of temperature trends.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If bags of plasma are immersed in a thermostatic hot water bath for thawing, then the bags can be heated to the desired temperature, but the bags may break and release substances inside the bath causing contamination, and operators must handle wet bags with contamination risks
Solution Approach 1:
The device divides the thawing system into separate compartments: a main tank containing heating liquid and multiple secondary tanks, each housing a pouch with the plasma bag. This segmentation isolates each plasma bag in its own sealed environment, preventing cross-contamination while maintaining efficient heat transfer through the pouch walls.
Solution Approach 2:
The pouch acts as an intermediary barrier between the heating liquid and the plasma bag. The pouch walls allow thermal energy to pass through for thawing while preventing direct contact between the heating liquid and the plasma, thus eliminating contamination risks associated with traditional open water baths.
2Productivity
If a single hydraulic circuit is used for all bladders to thaw bags contemporaneously, then throughput is improved, but the heat cycles cannot be differentiated according to specific requirements of different products
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic system is segmented into multiple independent circuits, with each circuit controlling a separate secondary tank and pouch assembly. This allows each plasma bag to receive customized heat cycles tailored to its specific requirements while maintaining high productivity through parallel processing of multiple bags simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates dynamic control capabilities where the hydraulic circuits can be independently adjusted to provide different heating profiles, temperatures, and durations for different products. This dynamic adaptability enables the system to handle diverse thawing requirements while maintaining efficient throughput.
3Reliability
If complex sealing systems and water-sealed inner paths are used to prevent contamination, then safety is improved, but the device becomes structurally complex and expensive to produce
Solution Approach 1:
The pouch is designed as a simple, disposable component that provides effective isolation without requiring complex sealing mechanisms. Each pouch can be independently disposed of after use, eliminating the need for expensive, complex reusable sealing systems while maintaining contamination prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The pouch utilizes flexible thin-film walls that provide effective thermal transfer while maintaining isolation. These simple flexible membranes replace complex rigid sealing systems, achieving contamination prevention through material properties rather than mechanical complexity.
4Device complexity
If traditional thawing methods are used, then equipment simplicity is maintained, but the thawing time is too slow to meet emergency speed requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The pouch's thin flexible walls provide an excellent thermal interface that dramatically accelerates heat transfer compared to traditional thick-walled containers. This simple design modification enables rapid thawing to meet emergency requirements while keeping the overall equipment structure relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic system efficiently circulates heated liquid through the secondary tanks and pouches, providing forced convection that significantly accelerates the thawing process. This hydraulic approach maintains equipment simplicity while achieving the fast thawing speeds required for emergency situations.
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 prevents contamination, achieves faster thawing and heating times, and allows for flexible operation, ensuring each product is thawed and heated optimally while maintaining product integrity and safety.
Implementation Method 1
through the pouch walls the liquid heat is transferred to the product, allowing thawing and subsequent heating to the desired temperature
Implementation Method 2
provided with heating means for heating the liquid, such as a heating resistor
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Device for thawing and/or heating medical products such as bags of plasma or frozen blood or frozen stem cells or the like, comprising a main tank (11) for containing heating liquid, provided with heating means (12A) for heating the liquid contained herein, comprising - a secondary small tank (18) in fluid communication with said main tank (11), - a pouch (19) with floppy walls (19A), inserted in said secondary small tank (18); said pouch (19) being opened upwards for inserting a bag (P) of medical product to be thawed, - an hydraulic circuit (20) comprising a first segment (21) of duct designed to put into fluid communication said main tank (11) with said secondary small tank (18) through pumping means (22), and a second segment (23) for fall of the fluid from said secondary small tank (18) to said main tank (11); said hydraulic circuit (20) being designed to pump liquid from said main tank (11) in said secondary small tank (18) so that said liquid surrounds said pouch (19) at least partially, generating a buoyancy force on the pouch designed to make the floppy walls (19A) of the pouch (19) adhere to the product (P) contained inside it.