Flexible Tissue Container Seal With Tortuous Contamination Path

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing tissue storage and transportation containers are prone to breaches, require secondary containment, and lack effective on-site sealing mechanisms, leading to potential contamination and inefficiencies in handling and shipping.

Innovation Solution

A flexible container with a self-sealing mechanism, featuring a fold region and secondary closure, allows for repeatable and verifiable sealing without specialized equipment, creating a tortuous path to prevent contamination and ensure secure storage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If flexible containers are used for tissue storage, then ease of manipulation and space utilization improve, but reliability of containment deteriorates due to susceptibility to rips, tears, and breaches

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of manipulationVSAvoidcontainment reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a nested container system where an inner flexible container is placed within an outer rigid container. The inner container provides flexibility and compliance with tissue, while the outer container provides structural protection against rips, tears, and breaches. This nested arrangement resolves the contradiction by combining the advantages of both flexible and rigid containers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent incorporates a secondary containment barrier (outer rigid container) as a preemptive protective measure against potential failures of the primary flexible container. This secondary barrier cushions against harmful effects (breaches, leaks) before they can compromise the tissue, addressing the reliability concern while maintaining the ease of operation benefits of flexible containers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Reliability

If secondary containers are added to protect against breaches, then containment reliability improves, but device complexity and difficulty of manipulation worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontainment reliabilityVSAvoidcontainer system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The nested container design integrates the secondary containment within the primary container structure, creating a unified system rather than separate components. The inner flexible container fits precisely within the outer rigid container, eliminating the need for additional fastening mechanisms or complex assembly procedures, thus maintaining simplicity despite enhanced reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Ease of operation

If clamps are used to close storage bags, then ease of operation improves, but reliability deteriorates due to clamps failing, breaking, or being lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclosure easeVSAvoidclosure reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates the closure mechanism directly into the container structure itself, merging the sealing function with the container body. The overlapping flaps with adhesive strips provide a self-contained closure system that eliminates separate clamp components, preventing the issues of clamps failing, breaking, or being lost while maintaining ease of closure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The adhesive strip closure system is self-contained and self-sustaining. Once applied, the adhesive bond maintains closure without requiring external components or active maintenance. The system serves itself by providing inherent closure reliability through the adhesive bonding mechanism, eliminating the need for separate clamp components that could fail or be lost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Reliability

If heat sealers are used for sophisticated sealing, then sealing reliability improves, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing reliabilityVSAvoidsealing device complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The adhesive strip is a simple, inexpensive component that provides reliable sealing without requiring complex reusable equipment like heat sealers. The adhesive strip can be easily applied and discarded with the container, eliminating the need for expensive, bulky sealing devices while maintaining adequate sealing reliability for tissue storage applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentUS20260070706A1Storage container with tortuous path seal

Publication Date: 2026.03.12 INSTANT SYSTEMS INC

AI summary

A flexible container includes a primary closure including a fold region having an adhesive material located along the opening. The fold region is configured to fold over the opening such that the adhesive material contacts a first layer or a second layer of the container to seal the opening. The container also includes a secondary closure including a tab extending past at least one of the first edge or the second edge and spaced apart from the fold region. The tab is configured to secure the fold region after the fold region is folded over the opening.