Hollow Needle Pressurization for Plasma Extraction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for extracting plasma from blood samples in closed containers are either complex and costly, requiring centrifugation or involve risks of contamination, and lack a simple and quick solution for repeated extraction of a significant quantity of liquid.
Innovation Solution
A device and method utilizing a hollow needle and a pressurization chamber to increase pressure within the container, allowing the needle to pierce a septum and transfer liquid into a distribution chamber with a filtering system for plasma extraction, achieving pressures between atmospheric and 3 bars, and ensuring safe and efficient liquid transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If centrifugation is used to extract plasma from blood, then plasma separation is achieved, but the process requires complex and expensive equipment and relatively long centrifugation time
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the essential function of plasma separation from the complex centrifugation system. By using a hollow needle to directly access and withdraw plasma from the blood container, the solution removes the need for centrifuges, centrifuge tubes, and complex mechanical systems while achieving the same plasma extraction goal
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs a disposable hollow needle and simple container system that can be discarded after single use. This eliminates the need for expensive, complex equipment that requires maintenance, cleaning, and calibration, while providing reliable plasma extraction through a simple, inexpensive, single-use device
2Reliability
If centrifugation is used to extract plasma from blood, then plasma separation is achieved, but the process involves relatively long centrifugation time
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the essential function of plasma separation from the time-consuming centrifugation process. By using a hollow needle to directly access and withdraw plasma from the blood container, the solution achieves plasma extraction in a matter of seconds without requiring lengthy centrifugation periods
Solution Approach 2:
The invention skips the lengthy centrifugation step entirely and rushes directly to plasma extraction through the hollow needle. This allows rapid plasma removal from the blood container in seconds, bypassing the time-consuming centrifugal separation process while still achieving effective plasma isolation
3Reliability
If filtration is used to extract plasma from blood, then plasma separation is achieved, but the process requires blood separation medium and carries contamination risk
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts plasma directly through the hollow needle without introducing external filtration media or separation substances. This eliminates the contamination risk associated with blood separation media while achieving effective plasma extraction through direct needle access to the blood container
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow needle acts as a sterile intermediary that transfers plasma from the blood container without introducing contamination. The needle provides a controlled, sterile pathway for plasma extraction, eliminating the need for blood separation media that could introduce contaminants while maintaining plasma separation quality
4Productivity
If a hollow needle and pressurization chamber are used to transfer liquid, then liquid transfer speed is improved, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the hollow needle with the pressurization chamber into a single integrated device. The needle is positioned within the chamber structure, combining the liquid transfer and pressurization functions into one unified device, which increases transfer speed while minimizing structural complexity through functional integration
Solution Approach 2:
The pressurization chamber device serves multiple functions: it houses the hollow needle for liquid extraction, provides pressurization to accelerate liquid transfer, and contains the filtration system. This multi-functionality increases productivity by combining several operations in one device while managing complexity through integrated 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
Enables rapid, safe, and repeated extraction of plasma from blood samples without contamination, with the ability to extract at least 200 μl in under 3 minutes and multiple extractions from the same container, using a disposable device with a recoverable filtering system.
Implementation Method 1
increasing the pressure of the liquid contained in said container to a transfer pressure which is higher than a pressure of said receiving chamber
Implementation Method 2
part of the liquid contained in said container is transferred, under the effect of this pressure difference, into said receiving chamber through the hollow needle
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A device for transferring a portion of a liquid contained in a container, the device having a hollow needle for penetrating through the plug of the container; a pressure chamber for pressurizing a fluid, the chamber having the needle passing therethrough and being provided with a septum; and an approach system for causing the hollow needle and the septum to approach each other so as to increase the pressure of the fluid as a result of the approach.