Liposuction Fat Purification Device with Bidirectional Valve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fat purification devices for liposuction procedures face challenges in minimizing damage to fat cells during multiple purification cycles, as they often require filter replacement when clogged, disrupting the process and increasing costs and time.
Innovation Solution
A purification device with a manifold configuration that includes a filter, a washing solution reservoir connected through a one-way valve, and a bidirectional non-return valve, allowing continuous operation even when the filter becomes clogged, by controlling pressure thresholds to prevent fat cell damage and ensure sterility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a filter is used in the purification device, then fat cells are effectively separated from liquid mixture, but the filter becomes clogged during multiple purification cycles requiring replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the filter from the main fluid pathway by placing it in a bypass branch. The filter remains in the system for continuous operation but is removed from the critical path, allowing filter replacement without interrupting the purification process. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining purification effectiveness while eliminating downtime for filter maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a three-way tap as an intermediary device that controls fluid flow between the main pathway and the filter branch. This intermediary allows selective engagement/disengagement of the filter from the fluid path, enabling filter replacement without stopping the purification process and maintaining continuous operation.
2Reliability
If filter replacement is required during purification cycles, then filter clogging is resolved, but operational continuity is interrupted and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting the filter into a bypass configuration, the system maintains purification functionality while isolating the filter from the main operational flow. This allows the purification cycle to continue uninterrupted in the main pathway while the filter can be replaced in the bypass without affecting productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares for filter replacement in advance by having a ready-to-use filter in the bypass branch. When the main filter becomes clogged, the system can immediately switch to the pre-prepared filter without interruption, maintaining continuous productivity and avoiding downtime.
3Ease of operation
If washing solution reservoir is connected directly to manifold, then solution flow is simple, but sterility cannot be ensured during multiple cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The one-way valve ensures continuous unidirectional flow of washing solution from the reservoir through the filter to the collection container. This continuous controlled flow prevents backflow and contamination, maintaining sterility throughout multiple purification cycles while keeping the system simple to operate.
Solution Approach 2:
The one-way valve acts as an intermediary element between the washing solution reservoir and the manifold. It allows simple direct connection for ease of operation while simultaneously ensuring sterility by preventing reverse flow and contamination during the purification process.
4Productivity
If pressure is increased during fat extraction, then suction efficiency improves, but fat cell damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bidirectional non-return valve is configured with different pressure thresholds for the two directions of flow. This parameter change allows the system to tolerate higher pressures in one direction for efficient fat extraction while limiting pressure in the opposite direction to prevent fat cell damage during solution injection, thus resolving the contradiction between suction efficiency and cell integrity.
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 effectively prevents fat cell damage and allows for uninterrupted purification processes, reducing operational costs and time by maintaining sterility and promoting the survival of fat cells for subsequent lipofilling procedures.
Implementation Method 1
The filter is configured to hold fat cells and let the liquid mixture pass
Implementation Method 2
The reservoir containing the washing solution is connected to the manifold through a one-way valve so that the washing solution can only flow towards the manifold, but not in the opposite direction
Implementation Method 3
The bidirectional non-return valve has different pressure thresholds in the two flow directions, thereby effectively preventing the flow of fat toward the third syringe when the liquid mixture is separated from the fat and to have a threshold for the maximum pressure so as to avoid damage to fat cells
Implementation Method 4
The difference in specific gravity is usually exploited as a means to separate adipocyte cells from the liquid mixture. To this aim the syringes are kept vertically manually or by way of suitable racks. Fat has a lower specific gravity and is collected in the upper part of a syringe
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device (100) for the purification of fat extracted during liposuction procedures, said device (100) comprising: i) a first manifold (110); ii) a first syringe (121) intended to receive fat to be purified, said first syringe (121) being connected or connectable in fluid communication with said first manifold (110) in correspondence of a first attachment member (111) thereof; iii) a reservoir (122) intended to contain a washing solution, said reservoir (122) being connected or connectable in fluid communication with the first manifold (110) in correspondence with a second attachment member (112) thereof through a non-return valve (123), said non-return valve (123) being arranged so as to allow a fluid to flow from the reservoir (122) towards the first manifold (110); iv) at least one filter (120) connected to an end portion of the first manifold (110), v) a third syringe (124) connected at the opposite end portion of the first manifold (HO), wherein said first syringe and said reservoir (122) are connected or connectable to the first manifold (110) on a same side thereof with respect to said filter (120), and wherein a non-return bidirectional valve (125) is arranged between the first manifold (110) and the third syringe (124), said non-return bidirectional valve (125) having different opening pressure thresholds in the two opposite flow directions and being arranged such that the pressure threshold from the first manifold (110) to the third syringe (124) is higher than the pressure threshold from the latter to the first manifold (110).