Cuvette Turbulator for Uniform UV Pathogen Inactivation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fluid treatment devices, such as those used in water purification and healthcare, face challenges in effectively irradiating fluids with ultraviolet light to inactivate pathogens, particularly in ensuring uniform exposure and preventing overheating during the treatment process.
Innovation Solution
A cuvette apparatus with a turbulator featuring helical and non-helical baffle segments that induce mixing and rotational flow, allowing for 360-degree light exposure and controlled fluid flow to enhance light penetration and prevent overheating, combined with UV light sources and reflectors for efficient pathogen inactivation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If UV light is used to irradiate fluid in a cuvette, then pathogen inactivation is achieved, but non-uniform light exposure and overheating occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by introducing a magnetic stir bar that rotates within the cuvette to continuously mix the fluid during UV irradiation. This dynamic mixing ensures uniform distribution of fluid throughout the irradiation chamber, preventing localized overheating and ensuring consistent pathogen inactivation across all fluid portions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the irradiation process by using a cuvette design with specific optical properties that allow UV light to penetrate through multiple surfaces. The cuvette is divided into regions that optimize light exposure, with the fluid path segmented to ensure all portions receive adequate UV dosage while allowing heat dissipation.
2Reliability
If UV light intensity is increased to improve pathogen inactivation, then treatment effectiveness increases, but fluid overheating worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous useful action by maintaining constant fluid circulation and mixing during the entire UV irradiation process. The magnetic stir bar rotates continuously to ensure fresh fluid portions are constantly exposed to UV light, maximizing the utilization of UV energy for pathogen inactivation rather than allowing energy to accumulate as heat in stagnant fluid regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses hydraulic principles by employing fluid circulation through the cuvette chamber. The fluid is pumped through the irradiation zone in a continuous flow, ensuring that UV energy is distributed throughout the fluid volume efficiently, and heat is carried away by the moving fluid rather than accumulating.
3Ease of manufacture
If cuvette design is simplified for ease of manufacture, then production cost decreases, but light penetration and mixing efficiency worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the cuvette's physical dimensions and material properties to achieve optimal UV light penetration. The cuvette path length, wall thickness, and material composition are specifically selected to maximize UV transmission while maintaining manufacturing simplicity. These parameter optimizations ensure efficient light energy utilization without requiring complex cuvette geometries.
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 cuvette apparatus ensures uniform exposure of fluids to UV light, increasing energy absorption without overheating, thereby effectively inactivating pathogens and providing a cost-effective, disposable solution with reduced risk of cross-contamination.
Implementation Method 1
The turbulator can include a helical baffle segment that can be configured to induce mixing and rotation of fluid flow, between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, about a longitudinal axis of the tube
Implementation Method 2
Irradiation devices can involve exposing a fluid to ultraviolet (UV) light. Irradiation can disassociate biological or chemical structures within the fluid.
Implementation Method 3
a reflector that can be sized, shaped, or otherwise configured to expose at least a portion of a length of the cuvette to reflected UV light
Data Source
AI summary
Blood or other fluid can be treated with UV or other light, such as using an apparatus that can include a cuvette. The cuvette can include an elongated tube configured to permit passage of light of a desired wavelength into the tube, which can include a fluid inlet at a first end and a fluid outlet at a longitudinally opposing second end. A turbulator within the tube can include a helical baffle segment configured to induce mixing and rotation of fluid flow about a longitudinal axis of the tube. The method can include passing a fluid, from a fluid inlet at a first end of an elongated tube to a fluid outlet at a longitudinally opposing second end of the elongated tube. Mixing and rotational flow of the fluid can be induced within the tube about a longitudinal axis of the tube and light of a desired wavelength can be permitted into the tube.