Filtration Unit with Interposed Adsorbent Particles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current filtration devices for biological fluids, such as blood, face challenges in effectively removing target substances like prions and pathogen-inactivating agents while minimizing particle release, filtration rate, and hemolysis of red blood cells, and require industrialization and sterilization without losing particles.
Innovation Solution
A filtration unit with a stacked non-woven material structure and interposed particles that selectively bind target substances, combined with a downstream particle retention structure to prevent particle leakage and regulate fluid flow, ensuring efficient removal of pathogens and inactivating agents while maintaining the fluid's composition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If adsorbent particles are placed in columns to remove target substances, then the elimination of pathogens and inactivating agents is improved, but particle release into the filtrate increases
Solution Approach 1:
A retention structure is introduced as an intermediary element between the adsorbent particles and the filtrate. This retention structure captures particles that detach from the adsorbent particles, preventing them from entering the filtrate while maintaining the adsorption function. The retention structure acts as a mediator that solves the contradiction between effective adsorption and particle release.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention structure is made of porous material with controlled pore size that allows filtrate to pass through while trapping particles. The porous structure enables differentiation between particle-sized objects (trapped) and fluid molecules (passed), resolving the contradiction between retaining particles and allowing fluid flow.
2Reliability
If adsorbent particles are used to eliminate target substances, then pathogen removal is improved, but filtration rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The filtration system is designed with different local qualities in different zones: the adsorption zone contains adsorbent particles for pathogen removal, while the retention zone has porous material optimized for particle capture with minimal flow resistance. This local differentiation allows the system to maintain high filtration rate in the retention zone while achieving effective pathogen removal in the adsorption zone.
3Reliability
If adsorbent particles are introduced to remove target substances, then elimination efficiency is improved, but hemolysis of red blood cells increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retention structure serves as a protective intermediary that captures harmful particles before they can interact with red blood cells in the filtrate. By trapping particles that may cause hemolysis, the retention structure reduces the harmful effects on blood cells while maintaining the elimination efficiency of the adsorbent particles.
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 filtration unit effectively eliminates target substances from biological fluids, reducing the risk of infection and toxicity, while maintaining fluid integrity and preventing particle release into the filtrate, facilitating industrialization and sterilization.
Implementation Method 1
particles with an average diameter greater than the diameter D, said particles having an affinity for the target substance
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6
Figure 7~8
AI summary
The invention concerns a filtering unit for selectively eliminating a target substance from a biological fluid such as blood or a blood component, said unit comprising a filtering media (5) including, stacked from upstream to downstream: an upstream structure (6) for eliminating at least the target substance, said structure comprising a stack of layers (7) based on a nonwoven material having pores of diameter D, said structure further comprising, interposed between at least some of the layers (7) of the upstream structure, particles (8) of average diameter greater than diameter D, said particles (8) exhibiting an affinity for the target substance; a downstream structure (9) for retaining the particles (8) which consists of at least one layer (10) of porous material, the average diameter of the pores of said material being not greater than diameter D.