Core-Sheath Fiber for Microbe Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hazardous substance removing materials face challenges in achieving high removal efficiency and mechanical strength while maintaining antibody activity and preventing reactivation of captured bacteria and viruses.
Innovation Solution
A hazardous substance removing material with antibodies supported on a fiber structure where the moisture regain of the core fiber differs from the sheath fiber, allowing for high hygroscopicity in the sheath and low hygroscopicity in the core, produced using electrospinning, to enhance filtration efficiency and mechanical strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high hygroscopic materials such as cellulosic fibers are used to maintain antibody activity, then the humidity environment is controlled and antibodies remain active, but the fiber strength decreases and fiber diameter must be enlarged, resulting in lower removal efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber is segmented into core and sheath parts with different functions. The core fiber provides mechanical strength while the sheath fiber controls humidity to maintain antibody activity. This segmentation allows each part to optimize its properties without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the fiber have different hygroscopic properties tailored to their specific functions. The sheath fiber has high hygroscopicity to control local humidity around the antibody, while the core fiber has low hygroscopicity to maintain overall fiber strength.
2Manufacturing precision
If fine fiber diameter is used to improve filtration precision, then removal efficiency increases, but the fiber becomes weaker and more difficult to manufacture with consistent mechanical properties
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber structure is segmented into core and sheath components, allowing the overall fiber diameter to be reduced for high filtration precision while the core provides sufficient mechanical strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The fiber is a composite material combining core fiber and sheath fiber with different properties. This composite structure enables the fiber to simultaneously achieve fine diameter for high precision filtration and adequate strength through the core component.
3Reliability
If antibodies are supported on fiber to capture and inactivate bacteria and viruses, then captured microorganisms are inactivated and cannot influence the human body, but the mechanical strength of the fiber decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber is segmented into core and sheath parts where the sheath fiber supports the antibodies and controls humidity for inactivation capability, while the core fiber provides mechanical strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The antibody support function is localized to the sheath fiber portion, while the core fiber is dedicated to providing mechanical strength. This local quality differentiation allows both functions to coexist without compromising either.
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 material effectively captures and inactivates microbe-origin hazardous substances, maintaining antibody activity and ensuring sufficient mechanical strength for long-term use in air and liquid purification systems.
Implementation Method 1
the hygroscopicity of the sheath fiber of the support is higher than the hygroscopicity of the core fiber of the support
Implementation Method 2
Captured bacteria and the like are inactivated by the antigen-antibody reaction
Data Source
AI summary
An objective to be solved by the present invention is to provide a hazardous substance removing material capable of efficiently capturing and quickly inactivating hazardous substances of microbe origin such as viruses and bacteria, so as to minimize influences on the human body. The present invention provides a hazardous substance removing material which comprises a support having antibodies supported thereon, wherein the support is made of a fiber, and the moisture regain of the core fiber of the support is different from the moisture regain of the sheath fiber of the support.