Flexible Bioreactor Container with Securing Unit for Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible containers used in pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries, such as bioreactor containers, face challenges in handling due to their size and weight, as they are not designed to withstand pressure after filling, and manual handling is difficult or impossible.
Innovation Solution
A container design with a flexible wall that can be shortened in transport condition to facilitate easier handling, featuring a handling unit for engagement with a transport device and a securing unit to prevent stretching, allowing for safe lifting and transportation in a compact form, with the option to extend when needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the container is stretched to full volume for use, then the container can hold and mix large volumes of media, but the container becomes difficult to handle and transport due to its size and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The container is designed as a dynamic structure that can transition between two states: a compressed transport state for easy handling and a stretched operational state for full volume capacity. The flexible wall material and securing unit enable this dynamic transformation, allowing the container to adapt its form factor based on operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The container utilizes dimensional transformation by stretching primarily in one dimension (length) while maintaining relatively constant dimensions in perpendicular directions. This selective dimensional expansion allows the container to achieve large volume capacity when needed while remaining compact in other dimensions for transport.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the container wall is made flexible to allow volume variation, then the container can be compressed for transport, but the wall cannot withstand pressure after filling
Solution Approach 1:
The securing unit acts as an intermediary mechanical support structure that compensates for the flexible wall's inability to withstand pressure. When the container is filled and stretched, the securing unit provides the necessary structural reinforcement to handle the weight and pressure of the contents, while allowing the flexible wall to maintain its volume-changing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The container employs a composite structure combining flexible wall material with a rigid securing unit. This composite design allows different parts of the system to perform different functions: the flexible wall provides volume adaptability while the securing unit provides structural strength and pressure resistance.
3Ease of operation
If the container is kept in compressed transport condition, then handling and storage are easier, but the container cannot be used for filling and processing
Solution Approach 1:
The container is pre-configured with the securing unit and handling unit attached, allowing it to be easily transported in the compressed state. Before use, the securing unit is released and the container is stretched to its operational configuration, enabling filling and processing. This preliminary preparation allows rapid transition between transport and operational modes.
Data Source
AI summary
A transport device for a container has a base, a vertical member extending up from the base and a complementary handling unit extending from an end of the vertical member spaced from the base. The complementary handling unit is configured for releasably engaging a container, such as a bioreactor container, so that the container can be transported to a holding device.