Lab-on-disk Particle Filtration with Automatic Priming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing particle filtration devices require skilled technicians to accurately fill priming water, leading to inefficiencies and errors in the separation process, particularly in the separation of rare cells like circulating tumor cells from biological samples.
Innovation Solution
A particle filtration device with a lab-on-disk design featuring a filtration film, main chamber, outlet chamber, and waste fluid chamber, along with first and second flow paths and valves, allows for automatic filling of priming water in the outlet chamber using centrifugal force, eliminating the need for skilled technicians and reducing errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual filling of priming water is used, then filling can be performed with simple structure, but it requires skilled technicians and takes a lot of time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-filling the outlet chamber with priming water before the actual filtration process begins. The system automatically performs this filling operation through a dedicated filling flow path, eliminating the need for manual intervention and ensuring the chamber is ready for immediate filtration operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service by automatically filling the outlet chamber with priming water without requiring skilled technician intervention. The filling mechanism operates autonomously using the pump and flow path system, making the process independent of operator skill level and significantly reducing the time required for this preparatory step.
2Device complexity
If manual filling of priming water is used, then structure can be simple, but errors often occur during filling
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves self-service by automatically controlling the filling process through the pump and flow path system. This eliminates human error in judging when the outlet chamber is sufficiently filled, ensuring consistent and reliable priming water filling without requiring complex manual monitoring procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical filling operations with an automated pump-based fluid delivery system. This substitution eliminates the variability and errors associated with manual filling while maintaining relatively simple system architecture through the use of standard pump and tubing components.
3Ease of operation
If priming water is not filled properly, then operation is simple, but separation efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by automatically filling the outlet chamber with priming water before filtration begins. This ensures that the filtration membrane is properly wetted and the chamber is ready for efficient particle separation, eliminating the need for operators to manually ensure proper filling while maximizing separation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated filling system serves itself by automatically providing the correct amount of priming water to the outlet chamber. This self-service mechanism ensures optimal filtration conditions are always achieved without requiring operator expertise, thereby maintaining high particle separation efficiency while keeping the operation simple.
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 device enables efficient and accurate filling of priming water, improving the overall particle filtration process by utilizing the entire filtration surface and reducing filtration time and errors, even for users without specialized skills.
Implementation Method 1
allows for automatic filling of priming water in the outlet chamber using centrifugal force
Implementation Method 2
filtration is a technology that applies a pressure difference on both sides of a filtration medium to pass a filtration fluid and deposits particles larger than pores of a filtration medium on the surface of the medium
Data Source
AI summary
A particle filtration device according to an embodiment of the present invention as a particle filtration device of a lab-on-disk of a rotation type includes: a filtration film that separates particles by filtering a sample; a main chamber connected to the inlet surface of the filtration film and supplying the sample to the inlet surface of the filtration film; an outlet chamber that is connected to the outlet surface of the filtration film and accommodates the filtration fluid from which particles are separated while passing through the filtration film; and a waste fluid chamber connected to the outlet chamber and storing the filtration fluid, wherein the particle filtration device includes a first flow path that connects between the outlet chamber and the waste fluid chamber, and a second flow path that connects between the outlet chamber and the waste fluid chamber but is positioned farther from the center of the lab-on-disk than the first flow path.