Disposable Injector Mixing With Pressurized Granular Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Batch mixing processes in biopharmaceutical, chemical, and food industries require sterile environments and stringent cleaning of reusable equipment, increasing costs and operational complexity.
Innovation Solution
A disposable mixing system comprising a disposable injector and vessel that accelerates the mixing of granular and liquid materials by using a flexible vessel and pressurized fluid to create a homogenous mixture, eliminating the need for cleaning and reducing assembly and disassembly time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If reusable equipment is used for batch mixing, then equipment cost is reduced, but cleaning time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable mixing vessels and disposable pump heads that are discarded after single use, eliminating the need for cleaning and sterilization processes. This resolves the contradiction by sacrificing equipment reusability to gain time and simplify operations, while maintaining sterile environment requirements through single-use components.
Solution Approach 2:
The mixing system is divided into separate disposable components (vessel, pump head, filter) that can be independently discarded. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for single-use performance without requiring cleaning of the entire system, thus reducing cleaning time while maintaining sterile standards.
2Loss of time
If disposable components are used, then cleaning time is reduced, but equipment cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The disposable components are designed to be inexpensive relative to the value of time saved and the quality assurance gained. The low cost of the disposable vessels and pump heads offsets the material consumption, particularly in pharmaceutical applications where sterile guarantees are critical.
3Stability of the object's composition
If granular material is added slowly to liquid, then mixing homogeneity is improved, but mixing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses pressurized gas (nitrogen or compressed air) to fluidize the granular material in the disposable vessel and force it through the filter into the mixing chamber. This pneumatic delivery method enables rapid addition of granular material to the liquid while maintaining homogeneous mixing through the diffuser design, thus increasing productivity without sacrificing mixing quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump head incorporates a vibrating mesh filter that uses mechanical vibration to prevent clogging during rapid granular material addition. The vibration keeps the filter pores open, allowing high-speed material transfer while maintaining filtration and mixing homogeneity.
4Reliability
If complex cleaning processes are implemented, then contaminant prevention is improved, but operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By using single-use disposable vessels and pump heads, the system eliminates complex cleaning and sterilization processes entirely. Each disposable component is designed for single-use in sterile conditions, then discarded, which prevents contaminants without requiring complex cleaning procedures, thus reducing operational complexity while maintaining reliability.
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 expedites the mixing process, reduces cleaning requirements, and simplifies assembly and disassembly, making it suitable for biopharmaceutical, chemical, and food industries.
Implementation Method 1
A pressurized fluid inlet may be configured to fluidly couple to the second flow path and configured to transmit a pressurized fluid to at least one of the interior volume of the flexible vessel and the second flow path
Implementation Method 2
a diffuser configured to transmit and mix the motive fluid of the first flow path with the granular material of the second flow path
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a mixing system that includes an injector body comprising a first flow path configured to transmit a motive fluid, a second flow path configured to transmit a granular material, and a diffuser configured to transmit and mix the motive fluid of the first flow path with the granular material of the second flow path. A flexible vessel includes a closed end, an open end, and an interior volume configured to hold a granular material. The open end is configured to couple to the injector body at or adjacent the second flow path. A pressurized fluid inlet is configured to fluidly couple to the second flow path and configured to transmit a pressurized fluid to at least one of the interior volume of the flexible vessel and the second flow path.