Bodily Fluid Sampling Flow Control for Initial Contaminant Sequestration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bodily fluid sampling methods are prone to contamination by dermally residing microbes and other external contaminants, leading to inaccurate diagnostic results, including false positives and negatives, which can result in misdiagnosis or unnecessary treatments.
Innovation Solution
A fluid control device with a sequestration portion and flow controller that diverts an initial volume of bodily fluid into a sequestration chamber, creating a negative pressure differential to isolate contaminants, allowing subsequent uncontaminated fluid to be collected in a separate reservoir.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard bodily fluid sampling methods are used, then the sampling process is simple and quick, but the sample becomes contaminated with dermally residing microbes and external contaminants
Solution Approach 1:
The sampling device is divided into distinct functional segments: a sequestration chamber to capture initial contaminated fluid, a flow controller to manage fluid movement, and a collection reservoir for pure sample. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function, ensuring sample purity while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs preliminary action by automatically sequestering and discarding the initial volume of fluid that contains dermally residing microbes and external contaminants before the clean sample is collected. This preliminary separation of contaminants occurs automatically as part of the sampling process, ensuring the final sample is pure without requiring additional manual steps.
2Reliability
If an initial volume of fluid is sequestered to remove contaminants, then sample purity improves, but the time required for sampling increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow controller is designed to automatically detect when the sequestration chamber is full and self-regulate the transition to sample collection mode. The system self-manages the entire process from contaminant capture to pure sample collection without requiring manual intervention or timing, thereby minimizing time loss while ensuring complete contaminant removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The device utilizes changes in pressure parameters to control fluid flow. When the sequestration chamber fills, pressure changes automatically trigger the flow controller to switch modes, transitioning from capturing contaminated fluid to collecting the pure sample. This pressure-based parameter change enables rapid, automatic transition without manual timing or intervention.
3Reliability
If a flow controller is added to manage fluid flow, then contamination control improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow controller is merged with the sequestration chamber as an integrated component rather than a separate external device. This merging allows the flow controller to directly manage the fluid dynamics within the chamber, providing precise contamination control while minimizing additional structural complexity. The integrated design ensures that the flow controller and sequestration chamber work as a unified system.
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 device effectively reduces contamination by sequestering initial fluid volumes, ensuring accurate diagnostic results by minimizing the presence of dermally residing microbes and other external contaminants.
Implementation Method 1
A negative pressure differential can be defined between the sequestration portion and the inlet as the flow controller transitions from the first state to the second state that is operable to draw the initial volume of bodily fluid from the inlet into the sequestration portion
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes an inlet configured to be placed in fluid communication with a bodily fluid source and an outlet configured to be placed in fluid communication with a fluid collection device. A sequestration portion can be configured to receive an initial volume of bodily fluid. A flow controller disposed in the sequestration portion can be configured to transition from a first state to a second state in response to contact with the initial volume of bodily fluid. As the flow controller transitions, a negative pressure differential can be defined that is operable to draw the initial volume of bodily fluid into the sequestration portion. When the flow controller is in the second state, the negative pressure differential can be substantially equalized such that (1) the sequestration portion sequesters the initial volume and (2) a subsequent volume of bodily fluid can be transferred from the inlet to the outlet.