Compression Member for Biohazardous Pig Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
The transportation and handling of biohazardous materials, such as radiopharmaceuticals, pose risks of radiation exposure due to inadequate shielding during shipping and handling, particularly at hospital or clinic settings, where there are multiple opportunities for human exposure.
Innovation Solution
A compression member for a pig used in transporting biohazardous materials, featuring a flange and annulus with pivotable grip components that compressively secure the container closure, providing enhanced shielding and reducing exposure risks through a bayonet connection mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the pig is opened to access the radiopharmaceutical container for dispensing, then the container can be removed and accessed, but human exposure to radioactive contents increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pig is divided into separate components: a removable lid, a body containing the container, and a compression member. This segmentation allows the lid to be removed for access while the container remains secured in the shielded body, enabling operation while maintaining protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The compression member is pre-positioned between the lid and container closure to automatically compress and seal the container closure when the lid is removed. This preliminary positioning ensures that the sealing action occurs automatically as part of the lid removal process, maintaining the sealed environment during access.
2Reliability
If the container closure is sealed tightly to prevent leakage, then radiation containment is improved, but removal and access of the closure becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The compression member is designed with resilient grip components that can dynamically adjust their compression force. During sealing, maximum compression ensures tight sealing; during removal, the compression can be released or reduced, allowing the closure to be removed while maintaining seal integrity during storage and transport.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If shielding material is added to the pig to reduce radiation exposure, then radiation protection is improved, but the weight of the pig increases
Solution Approach 1:
Shielding material is applied locally only where radiation protection is most critical - lining the interior surfaces of the pig body and lid that directly contact or surround the radiopharmaceutical container. This localized approach provides effective radiation protection while minimizing the total amount of shielding material used, thereby reducing overall weight compared to complete shielding.
4Reliability
If the pig is designed for secure transport with tight sealing, then radiation containment is improved, but ease of access at destination becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is designed as a separate removable component from the pig body. This segmentation allows the lid to be easily removed at the destination for access to the container, while the compression member maintains the sealed environment when the lid is in place during transport, thus providing both secure containment and ease of access.
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 solution effectively minimizes human exposure to radioactive contents by maintaining a sealed environment during transportation and handling, ensuring secure and safe transfer of biohazardous materials, even when access to the container is required intermittently.
Implementation Method 1
spaced apart pivotable grip components supported by the annulus and extending downwards from the annulus between respective ones of the pillars towards, but not into contact with, the flange, the pivotable grip components resiliently compressible inwardly against the container when the container is received within the compression member
Data Source
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AI summary
A compression member for insertion into a pig for transporting a container of biohazardous materials includes a flange maintained in spaced relation with an annulus by pillars; and spaced apart pivotable grip components supported by the annulus and extending downwards from the annulus between respective ones of the pillars towards, but not into contact with, the flange, the pivotable grip components resiliently compressible inwardly against the container when the container is received within the compression member. In use, the compression member receives at least a closure portion of the container and, in turn, is itself received within a complementary annulus of the pig. When being received within the complementary annulus of the pig, the pivotable grip components are urged inwards towards the container thereby to grip the container and provide a spacer for between this portion of the container and the pig.