Filtration Device with Gas Cushion and Piston
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid sample filtration devices face issues such as contamination of the filtrate due to permanent contact with the filter membrane, high technical complexity, risk of glass breakage, inefficient filtration times with negative pressure, and high operational noise and costs.
Innovation Solution
A filtration device with a tube and piston arrangement that minimizes contact between the liquid sample and the filter surface, using a gas cushion for compression to facilitate filtration without external power sources, and featuring a simple design with few components for easy handling and reduced contamination risk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the filtrate remains in the collection volume in permanent contact with the filter membrane, then the filtration device is simple in design, but the filtrate becomes contaminated by substances diffusing from the filter membrane
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful contact between filtrate and filter membrane by introducing a gas cushion that separates the two. The filtrate is drawn off through a valve before permanent contact occurs, removing the contamination source while maintaining system simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
A gas cushion acts as an intermediary layer between the filtrate and filter membrane. This gas layer prevents direct contact and substance diffusion while allowing the filtration process to continue, solving the contamination issue without adding complex mechanical components
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a glass collection vessel inside the flask is used to prevent permanent contact, then filtrate contamination is reduced, but the device complexity increases and glass breakage risk arises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a simple, disposable plastic filter unit with integrated collection volume rather than reusable glass vessels. This eliminates the need for complex assembly and removes breakage risks while maintaining contamination prevention through the gas cushion mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The collection volume is merged with the filter membrane in a single integrated plastic component rather than using separate glass vessels. This simplifies the device structure, eliminates multiple parts, and removes the breakage risk associated with glass while preventing contamination through design integration
3Device complexity
If negative pressure is used to drive filtration, then the device structure is simplified, but the filtration time increases and technical demands on the vacuum device are high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a dynamic piston mechanism that can be manually operated to apply positive pressure for rapid filtration. The system transitions from static negative pressure to dynamic positive pressure application, enabling faster throughput while keeping the overall device structure relatively simple
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 enables efficient, contamination-free filtration with faster processing times, reduced operational noise, and lower costs, while being safe and reproducible with low demands on material and technical peripherals.
Implementation Method 1
inserting the plunger into the tube causes a gaseous cushion, such as an air cushion, to be trapped. This gas cushion is compressed during the insertion process.
Implementation Method 2
The liquid sample to be filtered passes through the filter membrane and the filtrate reaches the collection volume above.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a filtration device for liquid samples and to a closing and push-through device for said filtration device (Fig. 1).