Chamber Insert Reduces Sample Chamber Volume for Bioreactors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bioreactors used in tissue engineering and biomaterial research require large volumes of expensive fluids for specimen conditioning, leading to significant costs due to unused space in sample chambers.
Innovation Solution
A chamber insert that reduces the volume of the sample chamber by defining a cavity around the specimen, allowing for efficient fluid flow and minimizing the amount of fluid needed, while being made from materials that can promote or prevent cellular adhesion and be disposable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a large sample chamber is used to accommodate specimens and fluid flow, then sufficient space for specimen conditioning is provided, but the volume of expensive fluid required increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The sample chamber is segmented into two distinct regions: a specimen holder region that accommodates the specimen and associated hardware, and a fluid reservoir region that contains the conditioning fluid. This segmentation allows the fluid to be confined to a smaller, controlled volume while the specimen holder maintains its required dimensions for proper specimen conditioning and access.
Solution Approach 2:
A removable partition or barrier is introduced as an intermediary element between the specimen holder and the fluid reservoir. This partition defines the boundaries of the fluid-containing cavity, preventing fluid from occupying the entire chamber volume while still allowing fluid to be delivered to the specimen through controlled pathways.
2Quantity of substance
If the sample chamber volume is reduced to minimize fluid usage, then fluid costs are reduced, but sufficient space for specimen conditioning and fluid flow may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the chamber into dedicated regions, the invention ensures that the specimen holder maintains adequate volume and geometry for effective specimen conditioning, while the fluid reservoir is limited to the minimum necessary volume. This segmentation allows each region to be optimized for its specific function without compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
The partition structure is pre-configured to direct fluid flow from the reservoir toward the specimen holder in advance. This preliminary arrangement of fluid pathways ensures that even with reduced fluid volume, adequate fluid delivery to the specimen is achieved through optimized flow paths that are established before conditioning begins.
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus includes a chamber insert capable of being received by a sample chamber of a conditioning system. The received chamber insert reduces the volume of the sample chamber and defines a cavity that substantially surrounds a sample holder located in the sample chamber.