Fluid Diversion Mechanism for Microbe-Free Bodily-Fluid Sampling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bodily-fluid sampling methods are prone to contamination from dermally-residing microbes during needle insertion, leading to false positive microbial test results and unnecessary antibiotic treatments.
Innovation Solution
A bodily-fluid transfer device with a housing, flow control mechanism, and actuator that selectively diverts a predetermined amount of fluid to a first reservoir, isolating it from a second reservoir to reduce contamination, and automatically moves between configurations to ensure microbial-free sampling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a needle is inserted directly into a patient to obtain bodily-fluid samples, then the sampling process is simple and quick, but the samples become contaminated with dermally-residing microbes during needle insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The sampling device is segmented into multiple functional components: a needle assembly for insertion, a diversion mechanism with separate chambers for contaminated and clean sample collection, and a closure system. This segmentation allows the device to simultaneously perform direct sampling while preventing contamination through physical separation of sample streams.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary diversion mechanism between the needle and the final sample collection container. This intermediary system includes a first chamber to receive contaminated fluid and a second chamber to receive clean fluid, acting as a mediator that separates the contamination source from the clean sample collection pathway.
2Reliability
If a diversion mechanism is added to prevent contamination, then sample purity improves, but the device complexity and operational steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The diversion mechanism is pre-configured within the device before use. The first and second chambers are预先 positioned and connected to the needle assembly, so that when sampling begins, the diversion function is already in place. This preliminary setup eliminates the need for complex manual operations during the actual sampling process.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is designed to automatically divert fluid between chambers based on flow dynamics and pressure differentials. The system self-regulates the sampling process without requiring complex manual intervention, maintaining ease of operation while ensuring contamination prevention through its self-activating diversion mechanism.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If dermally-residing microbes are dislodged during needle insertion, then contamination occurs, but this cannot be prevented by standard skin preparation alone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the potentially contaminated initial fluid sample into a separate first chamber, isolating it from the clean sample collection chamber. This extraction approach removes the harmful contaminated portion from the overall sampling process, allowing the clean sample to be collected separately without being affected by the initial contamination event.
Solution Approach 2:
The device enables discarding of the contaminated first sample in the first chamber while recovering the clean second sample in the second chamber. This selective discarding and recovery process minimizes sample volume loss by preserving only the uncontaminated portion for diagnostic use, rather than discarding the entire sample.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes a housing, a flow control mechanism, and an actuator. At least a portion of the flow control mechanism is movably disposed within the housing. The apparatus further includes an inlet port and an outlet port, and defines a fluid reservoir. The outlet port is fluidically coupled to a second fluid reservoir and is fluidically isolated from the first fluid reservoir. The actuator is configured to move the flow control mechanism between a first configuration, in which the inlet port is placed in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir such that the fluid reservoir receives a first flow of bodily-fluid, and a second configuration, in which the inlet port is placed in fluid communication with the outlet port.