Fluid Displacement Tissue Container with Segmented Valve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tissue sample containers fail to maintain the structural and molecular integrity of biological samples during storage and transportation for molecular and histological diagnostics, as they are prone to environmental stress-induced degradation, and existing solutions do not provide adequate control over the contact time and conditions between the sample and fixative reagents.
Innovation Solution
A container with a housing featuring two chambers and a transitional valve that allows controlled fluid flow between them, enabling the sample to be stored in isolation from a fixative reagent until desired, ensuring precise regulation of contact time and conditions to preserve the sample's integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sample is stored in a single integral cavity with fixative reagent, then the sample is preserved, but the sample is exposed to environmental stresses and degradation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into two separate chambers: a first chamber for receiving the biological sample and a second chamber for receiving the fixative reagent. This segmentation prevents direct contact between the sample and harsh fixative reagent until needed, protecting the sample from environmental stress while maintaining preservation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A barrier (valve) is introduced as an intermediary element between the sample chamber and fixative reagent chamber. This barrier can be selectively opened or closed to control the interaction between sample and reagent, allowing the system to transition between protection mode and preservation mode as needed.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the sample is stored immediately in fixative reagent, then molecular changes are avoided, but control over contact time and conditions is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier between chambers is designed to be dynamically controllable, allowing the user to open or close it at will. This enables dynamic adjustment of the contact time between sample and fixative reagent, providing operational flexibility while maintaining molecular integrity through controlled exposure.
3Reliability
If the container uses separate chambers with a barrier, then sample isolation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first chamber containing the sample is nested within the larger container structure, with the second chamber and barrier system integrated around it. This nesting approach achieves effective sample isolation through multiple chambers while managing structural complexity through hierarchical organization of components.
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 container effectively maintains the integrity of biological samples by allowing controlled exposure to fixative reagents, reducing degradation and ensuring high-quality RNA and DNA for diagnostic testing, thus improving the reliability of molecular and histological analyses.
Implementation Method 1
A valve extends between the first and second chambers and is movable between a first position in which the first chamber is in fluid isolation from the second chamber to a second position in which fluid can pass from at least the second chamber into the first chamber
Implementation Method 2
A typical fixative reagent is 10 percent (%) formalin but may also include water, miscible alcohols, ethanol/acetone mixtures, and ethanol/acetic acid mixtures
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3A
AI summary
A container (10) for storing a biological sample for molecular diagnostic testing and/or histological testing is provided. The container (10) includes a first chamber (20) for receiving a sample holder (40) therein, a second chamber (26), and a closure (50) for enclosing the container (10). A transitional barrier (32), such as a valve, is in fluid communication between the two chambers. The transitional barrier (32) is transitional between a first position in which the first chamber is in fluid isolation from the second chamber, and a second position in which fluid can pass from at least one of the first and second chambers to the other of the first and second chambers.