Impactor Kit Sealing Aerosol Collection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing breath condensate collection devices collect all breath components together, making it difficult to differentiate and analyze the various components of exhaled breath, leading to sample loss and contamination after collection.

Innovation Solution

A kit of parts for assembling an impactor apparatus that includes a housing, an impactor component with an impaction surface, and a sealing mechanism to isolate the impaction surface after collection, preventing evaporation and contamination by changing the sealing component from a sample collection to a containment configuration before removing the impactor component.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If breath components are collected together by condensation, then collection efficiency is improved, but component differentiation and analysis capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollection efficiencyVSAvoidcomponent differentiation capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The impactor divides the aerosol flow into multiple streams using a multi-stage structure with progressively smaller orifices. Each stage separates aerosol components by size, directing larger particles to specific impaction surfaces while allowing smaller particles to continue to subsequent stages. This segmentation enables collection of different breath components (liquid aerosol, solid particulates, vapour) into separate containers for differentiated analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If the impactor component is removed from the assembly after collection, then sample retrieval is improved, but sample loss through evaporation and contamination increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesample retrievalVSAvoidsample loss through evaporation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing mechanism is activated before removal of the impactor component from the assembly. The movable seal element is positioned to close the sample chamber, creating a sealed environment that prevents evaporation and contamination of the collected aerosol samples. This preliminary sealing action ensures sample integrity is maintained during the subsequent removal and handling processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If a sealing mechanism is added to isolate the impaction surface, then sample retention and prevention of evaporation are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesample retention capabilityVSAvoidsealing mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing mechanism employs a movable seal element that can be actuated to close the sample chamber. This flexible sealing approach provides reliable sample containment while maintaining relatively simple device architecture. The seal element creates an airtight barrier preventing evaporation and contamination without requiring complex multi-component sealing systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

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 impactor apparatus effectively retains aerosol components for analysis, preventing sample loss and contamination, allowing for more detailed analysis of breath components by isolating and sealing the impaction surface after collection.

Implementation Method 1

aerosol flow path of the aerosol sample is directed onto the impaction surface to promote aerosol deposition thereon

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectImpaction: Impact Force

Implementation Method 2

sealing component is changeable in the assembly into the sample containment configuration before removal of the impactor component from the assembly, so as to retain any aerosol components deposited on the impaction surface

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhysical containment: Physical Containment

Data Source

PatentUS11346753B2Impactor for aerosol component collection

Publication Date: 2022.05.31 NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY

AI summary

There is provided a kit of parts for assembly into an impactor (100) for aerosol component collection, such as for exhaled breath. The kit of parts is configured such that an impactor component (128) is receivable into the assembly such that, when a sealing component (136) is in a sample collection configuration and an aerosol sample is being received at an aerosol inlet (110) of a housing of the kit, in use, an aerosol flow path (124) of the aerosol sample is directed onto an impaction surface (130) of the impactor component (128) to promote aerosol deposition thereon. The kit of parts is further configured such that the sealing component (136) is changeable in the assembly into a sample containment configuration before removal of the impactor component (128) from the assembly, so as to retain any aerosol components deposited on the impaction surface (130).