Laser Sealing Apparatus for Cryopreservation Bag Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cryopreservation bags made of fluorine-based resin pose challenges in sealing due to the need for higher temperatures, leading to inconsistent sealing functions and potential leakage, which can result in the expansion of liquid nitrogen and breakage of the bag, posing safety risks in clinical settings.
Innovation Solution
A sealing apparatus comprising a bag clamping device, a laser device for infrared laser beam radiation, and a scanning structure to automatically and uniformly seal the cryopreservation bag, ensuring consistent sealing across the inlet/outlet, even for fluorine-based resin bags, by forming a seal bead using the infrared laser beam and a heat radiator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a commercially available impulse sealer is used to seal the cryopreservation bag, then the sealing operation is simple and fast, but the sealing function is inconsistent and unreliable for fluorine-based resin bags
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical impulse sealer with a laser-based sealing system. The laser beam irradiates the sealed portion of the fluorine-based resin bag, causing the resin to melt and fuse together, forming a reliable seal bead that consistently prevents liquid nitrogen leakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the sealing parameter from mechanical impulse pressure to laser energy irradiation. By controlling the laser beam intensity and irradiation time, the system achieves consistent melting and fusion of fluorine-based resin, ensuring reliable sealing performance across all operations.
2Reliability
If thermal welding is performed at high temperature to seal fluorine-based resin, then the sealing function improves, but the sealing process becomes more difficult to control and less uniform
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces difficult-to-control mechanical thermal welding with laser beam irradiation. The laser system provides precise energy delivery to the sealed portion, melting the fluorine-based resin uniformly and forming a consistent seal bead without the complexity of mechanical pressure control.
Solution Approach 2:
The laser sealing process uses controlled irradiation periods to melt and fuse the resin. By regulating the laser beam application time and intensity, the system achieves uniform sealing across all bags while maintaining ease of operation through automated control.
3Ease of operation
If the sealed portion is not properly sealed, then the bag can be opened easily, but liquid nitrogen may enter and expand to break the bag causing safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses laser-based sealing to create a reliable seal bead that effectively prevents liquid nitrogen from entering the sealed portion. The laser-induced melting and fusion of fluorine-based resin forms a hermetic seal that maintains bag integrity while allowing controlled access when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the sealing mechanism to laser irradiation, which creates a melt-seal that is both secure and controllable. The seal prevents liquid nitrogen leakage and expansion hazards while maintaining the ability to open the bag when required for sample retrieval.
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 apparatus enables easy, automatic, and safe sealing of cryopreservation bags, ensuring a high-level sealing function consistently, reducing the risk of leakage and breakage, and improving usability and hygiene control, particularly for bags requiring high-temperature sealing.
Implementation Method 1
a laser device 57 for radiating an infrared laser beam toward the sealed portion 55 pinched and fixed by the bag clamping device 56
Implementation Method 2
the infrared laser beam is radiated to the sealed portion 55 of the cryopreservation bag to form a seal bead 125
Implementation Method 3
a heat radiator 74 made of solid material with high infrared transmissivity and high heat conductivity
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a sealing apparatus for a cryopreservation bag, with which a sealing treatment of an inlet/outlet of the cryopreservation bag is carried out automatically and anyone can safely and properly carry out the sealing treatment.The sealing apparatus includes: a bag clamping device 56; a laser device 57; and a scanning structure 58 for moving the bag clamping device 56, for example. The bag clamping device 56 includes a fixed pinching block 67, a movable pinching block 69, and a clamp actuator 70. The laser device 57 includes a laser oscillator 104 and a condensing lens 107. The fixed pinching block 67 includes a block base 73, a heat radiator 74, and a heat radiator holder 75. An infrared laser beam is radiated to a sealed portion 55 of the bag to form a seal bead 125 for sealing in a state in which the sealed portion 55 is pinched and fixed by the heat radiator 74 and the movable pinching block 69 and while the bag clamping device 56, for example, is moved by the scanning structure 58.