Cryo-Sprout Container With Air-Permeable Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for growing sprouts and microgreens are prone to contamination by microbial pathogens such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria, which can compromise food safety and quality, and existing systems often require irrigation, leading to compromised sanitary conditions during growth and storage.
Innovation Solution
A covered container system with a membrane-supported seed growth mechanism that uses a pathogen antagonistic temperature (between 2°C and 7°C) and air-permeable seals to reduce pathogenic bacteria growth, allowing seeds to germinate and grow without additional water, maintaining air exchange through vent slots for respiration and evaporation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If seeds are irrigated during growth, then sprouts can grow to marketable size, but pathogenic organisms are introduced and allowed to multiply easily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from ambient to pathogen antagonistic temperature (35-45°F), which inhibits pathogen growth while allowing sprout development. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by creating environmental conditions where harmful factors cannot thrive despite the presence of water and organic matter.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of cold temperatures into a beneficial pathogen antagonistic environment. By maintaining temperatures between 35-45°F, the system creates conditions that are detrimental to pathogens while still permitting sprout growth, effectively turning a constraint into a protective mechanism.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If containers are capped with lids for storage, then product sanitation is improved, but air exchange is restricted affecting respiration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs porous materials in the container lid design that allow air permeability while maintaining the sealed environment. The porous structure enables gas exchange for respiration and evaporation control without compromising the sanitary barrier function, resolving the contradiction between closure and ventilation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses flexible sealing mechanisms that can adapt to maintain atmospheric pressure differentials while allowing controlled air exchange. The flexible lid design with integrated sealing elements permits the container to remain closed for sanitation while accommodating respiratory needs through controlled permeability.
3Productivity
If water is added during growth, then seeds can germinate and grow, but microbial pathogens are introduced through water and handling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter to pathogen antagonistic levels (35-45°F) which creates an environment where pathogens cannot survive or multiply, even when water is added for germination. This parameter change allows the system to tolerate the introduction of water without proportionally increasing contamination risk.
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 system significantly reduces the number of undesirable pathogenic bacteria, extends the shelf-life of sprouts, and maintains quality by creating a microbiostatic environment that inhibits pathogen growth, ensuring safer and fresher products.
Implementation Method 1
The air-permeable seal comprises openings that are above the water line. The openings are configured for respiration and water evaporation during germination of seeds and growth into cryo-sprouts in the covered container.
Implementation Method 2
The covered container has openings. The openings are vent slots, wherein the vent slots are configured to increase air permeation rate of the covered container.
Implementation Method 3
The openings are configured for respiration and water evaporation during germination of seeds and growth into cryo-sprouts in the covered container.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Container (10, 350, 410)s for growth of sprouts are described. The covered containers have an air-permeable seal and may also have additional openings to increase the air permeability rate of the covered container (490). The air permeability rate is balanced to have sufficient air exchange but with an evaporation rate that is low enough to avoid addition of water (70) during germination and growth of the cryo-sprouts. The seeds (240, 60) and sufficient water (70) are added to the container (10, 350, 410) and covered with a lid (40, 480) to form an air-permeable covered container (490). The seeds (240, 60) germinate and grow in the covered container (490) at pathogen antagonistic temperature (360) without the removal of the lid (40, 480) until use by consumer. This results in cryo-spouts in that have reduced numbers of pathogenic organisms, are greener and have an extended shelf-life.