Dummy Bag Detection in Multi-Unit Blood Processors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multi-unit blood processors face challenges in efficiently processing varying volumes of blood due to unbalanced hydraulic systems when not all processing areas have sufficient blood units, leading to potential over-processing of empty areas.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a dummy whole blood bag filled with an inert fluid, such as water or saline, which is recognized by sensors to prevent processing in areas without actual blood, ensuring that only areas with blood components are processed and maintaining system balance through photo sensors, radio frequency sensors, or barcode readers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the hydraulic bladder system processes all processing areas simultaneously, then system balance is maintained, but unnecessary processing occurs in areas without blood
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the problematic processing areas from the system by identifying and excluding areas containing dummy bags. The control system detects which processing areas have actual blood bags versus dummy bags and selectively activates only the areas with blood, removing the inefficiency of processing empty areas while preserving system balance in the active processing zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback through sensors that detect the presence or absence of blood in processing areas. This feedback information is used by the control system to dynamically adjust which processing areas are activated, allowing the system to respond to actual conditions and avoid unnecessary processing while maintaining hydraulic balance among active areas.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the system activates all processing areas, then hydraulic balance is maintained, but time and energy are wasted on empty areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the processing area activation state variable rather than fixed. The system dynamically determines which processing areas to activate based on real-time detection of blood presence, allowing flexible adaptation to varying blood availability while maintaining hydraulic balance only among the actively processing areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by applying different processing states to different processing areas based on their individual conditions. Areas with blood receive full processing activation, while areas with dummy bags are excluded from processing, allowing each area to have the appropriate processing intensity for its actual needs.
3Productivity
If sensors are added to detect dummy bags, then processing efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses sensors as intermediary detection devices that provide indirect information about blood presence. Rather than requiring complex direct measurement of blood volume or composition, simple presence/absence detection suffices to trigger the appropriate processing decisions, reducing overall system complexity while improving efficiency.
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 prevents unnecessary processing in areas with dummy bags, ensuring efficient separation and washing of blood components while maintaining system balance, even when not all processing areas are filled with actual blood, thereby optimizing the processing efficiency and preventing over-processing.
Implementation Method 1
photo sensors are used to control the separation process at each separation area. In one embodiment, an opaque dummy bag may be detected by a photo sensor.
Implementation Method 2
rotating the rotor at a sedimentation speed at which the at least a first and a second components sediment in each of the separation bags
Implementation Method 3
separating at least two discrete volumes of a blood into at least two components each in a multi-unit blood processor
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A multi-unit blood processor (60) uses a hydraulic bladder system (114) to express blood components out of whole blood bags (12) and into collection bags (38). A dummy whole blood bag (170), containing an inert fluid, may be placed in a processing location. The dummy bag (170) has characteristics that allow the blood processor (60) to recognize the presence of the dummy bag (170). An opaque feature may be detected by a photo sensor (138). A radio frequency sensor may be used to detect a passive radio frequency emitter (176) on the dummy bag (170). The dummy bag (170) may have a bar code label (178) identifying it as a dummy bag (170). The blood processor (60) will not attempt to process the dummy bag (170).