Machine for inhibiting pathogenic agents during the preparation of beverages based on breast-milk substitutes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage preparation machines face challenges in maintaining asepsis and effectively inactivating pathogenic agents, such as E. sakazakii, due to contamination risks from mixer residues and inadequate cleaning, which can lead to bacterial accumulation and infections in newborns.
Innovation Solution
A machine designed to prepare beverages by integrating a water line, a refillable powdered preparation tank, and a hopper element with temperature-controlled mixing and a closing mechanism that ensures pathogen inactivation through temperature thresholds, allowing for easy disassembly and thorough cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mixers are used in closed devices for automated beverage preparation, then productivity and automation are improved, but the risk of bacterial contamination and accumulation increases due to difficulty in cleaning and visibility of residues
Solution Approach 1:
The mixer is extracted from the closed device and placed in a transparent hopper that can be easily removed and cleaned. This separates the mixing function from the housing structure, allowing the mixing component to be independently accessed, visualized, and sanitized without disassembling the entire device.
Solution Approach 2:
The hopper is made transparent or translucent, allowing visual inspection of the mixing process and residue accumulation. This transparency enables users to monitor cleanliness and detect contamination risks without opening the device, maintaining both automation and hygiene awareness.
2Ease of operation
If automated washing systems are implemented in mixers, then ease of operation is improved, but the effectiveness of pathogen inactivation is insufficient as bacteria can still persist on mixer walls
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the temperature parameter dynamically during the mixing process. Water is heated to high temperatures (above 70°C) during mixing to inactivate pathogens, then allowed to cool before the closing element seals the hopper. This temperature cycling ensures both pathogen destruction and operational safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary heating of water before mixing occurs. By pre-heating the water to pathogen-inactivating temperatures before contact with the powdered preparation, the system ensures contamination prevention happens proactively rather than relying solely on post-mixing washing.
3Reliability
If the machine structure is made complex to ensure complete cleaning access, then reliability of asepsis is improved, but device complexity and ease of manufacture worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into modular components: a removable hopper, a separate closing element, and a fixed base. The hopper and closing element can be detached as a unit or separately, allowing thorough cleaning of all surfaces without requiring complex disassembly mechanisms. This modular segmentation simplifies manufacturing while ensuring complete cleaning access.
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 machine effectively maintains asepsis and inactivates pathogens during beverage preparation, reducing the risk of infections by ensuring the mixture reaches and maintains high temperatures for pathogen destruction, while allowing for easy cleaning and compliance with regulatory standards.
Implementation Method 1
a water line starting from a water tank and ending with at least one water outlet; The machine effectively maintains asepsis and inactivates pathogens during beverage preparation, reducing the risk of infections by ensuring the mixture reaches and maintains high temperatures for pathogen destruction
Implementation Method 2
said closing element being connected to a control unit configured to make said closing element switch from the working position to the opening position once the inner temperature of the liquid inside the hopper element has exceeded a first threshold value and has dropped back down below a second threshold value
Data Source
AI summary
A machine (10) for inhibiting pathogenic agents during the preparation of beverages based on breast-milk substitutes and/or powdered products or the like is described, comprising: a water line starting from a water tank (3) and ending with at least one water outlet; at least one tank (1) for the powdered preparation, adapted to contain a powdered preparation or the like; said tank (1) being refillable; a compartment (4) adapted to at least partially accommodate said at least one tank (1); at least one hopper element (6) comprising a first inlet (12) adapted to receive the water coming out of said water tank (3) and the powdered preparation delivered by said at least one tank (1) for the powdered preparation and a delivery mouth (13) for delivering the water and preparation mixed, characterized in that: said at least one tank (1) for the powdered preparation can be removably inserted in said machine (10) for preparing a beverage; and in that said hopper element (6) can be coupled with and decoupled from the machine (10); said hopper element (6) comprising a closing element (17) operated to slide between a working position, wherein it does not allow to deliver the water and preparation mixed from said hopper element (6), and an open position, wherein the delivery of the water and preparation mixed from said hopper element (6) is allowed; said closing element (17) being connected to a control unit configured to make said closing element (17) switch from the working position to the opening position once the inner temperature of the liquid inside the hopper element (6) has exceeded a first threshold value and has dropped back down below a second threshold value, said first threshold value being equal to 70°, said second threshold value being equal to 35°.