Ear Tissue Sampling Container With Detachable Cutter and Sealed Membrane
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for sampling animal ear tissue face issues such as high force requirements causing ear damage, inability to separate sampling from tagging, complex structures, and unreliable sample collection, often resulting in tissue loss or damage.
Innovation Solution
A system with a detachable sample collecting part and a tissue sample container featuring a sealed membrane that breaks during sampling, allowing precise collection and storage, and a design that separates sampling from tagging, using a first and second jaw to support the male and female components and container, ensuring reliable sample containment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cutting tip cuts the counter-plate during sampling, then the sample container is sealed, but higher forces are involved causing stress to the animal's ear and possible damage to the tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the sealing function from the cutting function by using a distinct sealing membrane that breaks independently during sampling. The cutting edge cuts the sealing membrane to allow sample entry, while a separate counter-plate provides structural support without requiring the cutting tip to cut through it, thereby reducing force requirements and preventing tissue damage.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the cutting tip is arranged on a counter-posed part of the counter-plate, then the system can be used with tagging, but the cutting tip may not be correctly centred with respect to the aperture of the tissue sample container
Solution Approach 1:
A centring feature acts as an intermediary element between the cutting tip and the sample container aperture. This feature ensures correct alignment and centring of the cutting tip relative to the aperture, eliminating centring errors while maintaining compatibility with tagging operations through the modular design.
3Reliability
If the sample container opening is closed by a sealed membrane, then precise sample collection is enabled, but the operator cannot visually verify sample collection
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing membrane incorporates visual indicators such as color changes or transparent sections that allow the operator to verify sample collection. When the cutting edge breaks the sealing membrane to allow sample entry, the visual indicator changes state (e.g., color change or becomes transparent), providing immediate feedback to the operator that sampling has occurred successfully.
4Reliability
If the detachable sample collecting part closes the tissue sample container, then sample containment is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a detachable sample collecting part that can be separated from the main body, allowing the closed sample container to be easily removed and transported independently. This segmentation improves sample containment and facilitates sample transport while maintaining relative simplicity through modular design.
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 provides reliable, easy-to-use tissue sampling without tagging, ensuring precise collection and storage, reducing the risk of sample loss or damage, and simplifying the process by separating sampling from tagging operations.
Implementation Method 1
The sealed membrane or a cover is broken by the cutting edge during sampling to allow the tissue sampled entering the tissue sample container
Data Source
AI summary
It is disclosed a System for sampling tissue from an ear of an animal including: —a male component (2) including a detachable sample collecting part (2b), comprising a cavity (2c) for collecting the sample and a cutting edge (2a) at an aperture of the cavity (2c) for cutting the sample from the animal ear; and —a tissue sample container (3) including a container component (30) for receiving the sample collecting part (2b) and the tissue sampled, the container component (30) having an opening (30b) closed by a sealed membrane or a cover (30d).The tissue sample container (3) includes —a ring (31) comprising a peripheral flange (31a), a protrusion (31b) and radial portions (31c), the radial portions (31c) supporting the protrusion (31b) in the middle of the peripheral flange (31a) of the ring (31); —a moulded portion (32) around the peripheral edge (31a) of the ring (31) and the container component (30), to embed the ring (31) and the container component (30) above the sealed membrane or cover (30d), preventing detachment thereof, wherein the protrusion (31b) projects from the middle of the ring (31) in a direction opposite with respect to the container component (30) and wherein a length of the protrusion (31b) is equal to or minor than a depth of the cavity (2c) of the sample collecting part (2b) to enter entirely the cavity (2c) through the aperture thereof so as the cutting edge (2a) contacts the radial portions (31c) for cutting them at a predetermined portion (31cc) during use, when the sample collecting part (2b) is moved in a same axis along which the protrusion (31b) is arranged.