Freeze-Dried Sample Container with Movable Stop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containers for freeze-dried biological samples often result in incomplete reconstitution due to un-dissolved material, leading to insufficient solution strength and wastage, especially during transportation and processing, which is costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A container design with a chamber divided into upper and lower portions, featuring a movable insert or physical structure that prevents freeze-dried material from moving into the upper portion, ensuring complete dissolution upon reconstitution, and avoiding contamination by keeping the material away from seals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the freeze-dried material is allowed to move freely in the chamber, then the container structure is simple, but the material may not fully dissolve and solution strength is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The chamber is divided into an upper portion and a lower portion by a stop, creating distinct functional zones. The freeze-dried material is confined to the lower portion, ensuring complete dissolution while maintaining a relatively simple overall container structure.
Solution Approach 2:
A movable insert acts as an intermediary element between the freeze-dried material and the upper chamber. This insert prevents material migration while allowing liquid to pass through, achieving complete reconstitution without requiring a complex sealed partition.
2Reliability
If chemical bonding agents are used to secure the freeze-dried material, then the material remains in place, but sample contamination may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical bonding agents with a mechanical constraint system. The stop and movable insert create a physical barrier that prevents material migration through mechanical means rather than chemical adhesion, eliminating contamination risks from bonding agents.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful chemical bonding agents are extracted from the system entirely. The patent achieves material positioning using only physical structures (stop and movable insert), removing the source of potential sample contamination.
3Device complexity
If the freeze-dried material contacts the seal, then the container structure is simple, but sample contamination occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The chamber is segmented into upper and lower portions by a stop, creating a physical barrier that prevents freeze-dried material from contacting the seal located in the upper portion. This spatial separation eliminates contamination while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The stop acts as an intermediary barrier between the freeze-dried material and the seal. It allows the container to maintain a simple overall structure while preventing direct contact between the material and potential contamination sources at the seal.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed stop is used to define the boundary, then the container structure is simple, but the volume for freeze-dried material cannot be adjusted
Solution Approach 1:
The stop is made movable rather than fixed, allowing the boundary between upper and lower portions to be adjusted. This dynamic element enables volume adaptation for different material quantities while adding minimal complexity to the container structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable insert is positioned in advance to define the appropriate volume boundary before the freeze-drying process. This preliminary positioning allows the chamber volume to be adapted to different material requirements without requiring a completely different container design.
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
Ensures complete reconstitution of freeze-dried biological samples, maintaining solution strength and reducing waste, while avoiding the use of chemical bonding agents that might contaminate the sample.
Implementation Method 1
it can be reconstituted by adding water to the freeze-dried material
Implementation Method 2
gradually adding enough heat to allow sublimation of the water contained within the frozen liquid
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a
Figure 2b
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention relate to a container holding, and a method of storing, freeze-dried biological samples. In particular, there is provided a container holding a freeze-dried material comprising a biological sample, the container comprising a chamber having an upper portion (106) and a lower portion (108), the chamber comprising a wall and the lower portion being fluidly connected to the upper portion such that, when liquid is received at the upper portion, the received liquid can pass to and accumulate in the lower portion. Further, the freeze-dried material is located in the lower portion, and the container comprises a physical structure in the form of a stop (200,300) protruding inwards from the wall, the physical structure being for inhibiting the freeze-dried material from moving from the lower portion of the chamber to the upper portion of the chamber. This ensures that the biological sample can be kept in a lower portion of the tube, ensuring that, when the biological sample is subsequently reconstituted by inserting water, substantially all of the biological sample is dissolved.