Frangible Seal Container with Vapour Permeable Vent
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Solution Overview
Problem
The safe storage, transport, and dispensing of hydrogen peroxide for endoscope sterilization are challenging due to its reactive properties, requiring specific materials and conditions, and existing solutions do not adequately prevent hazardous handling and contamination.
Innovation Solution
A container with a vent membrane impermeable to liquids but permeable to gases, combined with a dispensing apparatus that ensures safe alignment and rupture of seals to prevent liquid contact with skin, using opaque plastics and a frangible seal system to manage gas release and liquid flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sealed container is used to prevent liquid leakage and contamination, then safety and purity are improved, but pressure buildup from gas generation may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a vent membrane that is substantially impermeable to liquid but permeable to gas. This porous/selective material allows generated gas to escape from the sealed container while preventing liquid hydrogen peroxide from leaking, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining seal integrity and releasing internal pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The vent membrane acts as an intermediary element between the sealed container interior and exterior. It selectively mediates the passage of substances—allowing gas to pass while blocking liquid—thereby enabling pressure relief without compromising the overall seal and safety of the container system.
2Stress or pressure
If a vent is added to release gas pressure, then pressure buildup is prevented, but liquid may leak through the vent
Solution Approach 1:
The vent membrane is constructed as a porous or microporous material with specific pore size and surface properties that allow gas molecules to pass through while blocking larger liquid molecules. This selective permeability enables pressure relief without liquid leakage, resolving the technical contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The vent membrane possesses different permeability properties for different substances (gas vs. liquid) at the same location. The local quality of the membrane material is engineered to be gas-permeable while liquid-impermeable, allowing the vent to perform both pressure relief and liquid containment functions simultaneously.
3Loss of information
If the container is made transparent for monitoring, then visibility is improved, but hydrogen peroxide degradation increases due to light exposure
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the container transparent to allow monitoring, the patent inverts the approach by making the container opaque or light-blocking. This prevents light from reaching the hydrogen peroxide, thereby maintaining its chemical stability and preventing degradation, while still allowing the container to be filled and monitored through other means.
4Reliability
If a frangible seal is used to prevent unauthorized refilling, then safety is improved, but the sealing mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The frangible seal is pre-installed and pre-configured on the container during manufacturing. The seal is designed to be intact and functional before use, requiring a specific piercing action to activate. This preliminary preparation ensures safety without requiring complex active sealing mechanisms during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The frangible seal is designed as a single-use, disposable component that is destroyed upon activation (piercing). This simple, low-cost approach provides effective safety functionality without the need for complex, reusable sealing mechanisms, resolving the contradiction between safety and complexity.
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 solution provides a safe and controlled system for storing and dispensing hydrogen peroxide, minimizing contamination and ensuring safe handling by preventing liquid residue on fittings and containers, while allowing gas release to prevent pressure buildup.
Implementation Method 1
the vent includes an aperture covered with a membrane, the membrane being substantially permeable to vapour but substantially impermeable to liquid
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A container (1, 2) for storing and dispensing a liquid, the container including an access port (16) having a frangible seal (18) for allowing contained liquid to be dispensed. A vent (19) permeable to vapour but impermeable to liquid is also provided so that vapour may be vented from the interior of the container.