Heat-Dried Reagent Composition for Total Chlorine Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current test kits for detecting total chlorine in pool water are time-consuming, prone to operator error, and lack accuracy, with existing reagent solutions being unstable and tablet dissolution rates being problematic, while test strip readers are less accurate than conventional photometric analysis.

Innovation Solution

A heat-dried reagent composition comprising N,N-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DPD), a source of iodide, an anionic or nonionic surfactant, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and a pH 6 buffer, which can be rapidly rehydrated to detect and assess total chlorine in aqueous solutions, providing improved stability and precision.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional test kits use reagent solutions, then detection can be performed, but the reagent solutions are unstable and require frequent replacement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereagent stabilityVSAvoidtesting time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms the reagent from liquid phase to solid phase by freeze-drying. This phase transition enables the reagent to be stored as a stable powder for extended periods while maintaining its chemical integrity. When needed, the powder is rapidly rehydrated with water to restore full functionality, thus resolving the contradiction between stability and accessibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #36Phase transitions

2Ease of operation

If tablets are used for testing, then portability is improved, but the dissolution rate is problematic and affects accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveportabilityVSAvoiddetection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses freeze-drying to create a porous solid structure that rapidly absorbs water. This creates a fast-dissolving powder that outperforms traditional tablets in terms of dissolution speed and completeness, thereby improving both ease of operation and measurement precision simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #36Phase transitions

Solution Approach 2:

The freeze-dried reagent possesses a highly porous structure with large surface area-to-volume ratio. This porous morphology enables rapid water penetration and quick dissolution, solving the problem of slow tablet dissolution while maintaining portability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

3Productivity

If test strip readers are used, then speed and multi-analyte capability are improved, but accuracy is far less than conventional photometric analysis

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetesting speedVSAvoiddetection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a simplified version of laboratory-grade photometric reagents by freeze-drying commercial-grade reagent solutions. This produces a portable 'copy' of lab-quality reagents that can be used with simple photometric devices, achieving high accuracy without requiring complex test strip reader systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

4Reliability

If dry powdered reagents are dispensed in unit dose vials, then storage stability is improved, but maintaining uniformity of the dry powdered reagent mixture is difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage stabilityVSAvoidreagent uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary mixing in the liquid phase before freeze-drying. Since liquids mix more uniformly than powders, the reagents are thoroughly combined in solution form, then frozen and dried to preserve this uniform distribution. This preliminary action in the optimal phase ensures homogeneous reagent mixtures in the final dry powder form.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

By freezing and then drying the uniformly mixed liquid reagent, the patent locks in the homogeneous distribution achieved in the liquid phase. The phase transition preserves the uniform mixing that would be difficult to achieve in dry powder form, solving the uniformity problem while maintaining storage stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #36Phase transitions

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 composition enables rapid, accurate detection and assessment of total chlorine, with fast rehydration times, long shelf life, and improved assay kinetics, suitable for small-scale photometric detection systems, reducing waste and operational costs.

Implementation Method 1

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRehydration: Solvation

Implementation Method 2

an indicator comprising N,N-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DPD) in an amount sufficient to detect and/or assess 0.01 to 20 parts per million (ppm) total chlorine in an aqueous reaction solution

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectColorimetric detection: Absorption Spectroscopy

Data Source

PatentUS8993337B2Reagent for detection and assessment of total chlorine in aqueous solution

Publication Date: 2015.03.31 LAMOTTE CHEM PROD

AI summary

Provided is a heat dried reagent composition that is dry, methods of making it, and methods of using it. The heat dried reagent composition can be characterized by one or more of: stability to the heat drying conditions; storage stability of the heat dried reagent composition; fast rehydration time; rapid assay kinetics; and assay precision. The reagent composition is useful for detecting and/or assessing total chlorine in an aqueous sample, such as pool water.