Blood Pathogen Inactivation via Sonication and Riboflavin
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current blood pathogen inactivation methods, such as methylene blue photochemical methods, face limitations due to residual toxicity and the 'window period' in nucleic acid testing, necessitating the development of novel technologies that combine sonication with antimicrobial agents, chemicals, or pressure to enhance pathogen inactivation efficiency and safety.
Innovation Solution
A blood pathogen inactivation method involving the simultaneous use of low-frequency sonication (15-500 KHz) and photochemical technology with riboflavin as a photosensitizer, applied to blood samples, including plasma, platelets, and whole blood, to enhance pathogen inactivation while reducing the dosage of photosensitizers and treatment time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If methylene blue photochemical method is used for pathogen inactivation, then pathogen inactivation effect is improved, but residual toxicity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameter by replacing methylene blue with riboflavin as the photosensitizer. Riboflavin is a water-soluble vitamin with no residual toxicity issues, fundamentally changing the chemical identity of the photosensitizer to eliminate the harmful residual toxicity while maintaining pathogen inactivation effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs riboflavin which can be easily removed or metabolized, effectively treating it as a disposable photosensitizer that does not persist in the blood product. This approach eliminates long-term toxicity concerns associated with methylene blue accumulation
2Measurement precision
If nucleic acid testing (NAT) is used for blood screening, then detection capability is improved, but window period problem persists
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies pathogen inactivation treatment to the blood product itself, performing the pathogen elimination action before transfusion. This preliminary inactivation ensures that even if pathogens are present during the window period, they are destroyed before reaching the patient, effectively eliminating the window period risk
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the inherent vulnerability of the window period into an opportunity by applying inactivation treatment that specifically targets and destroys pathogens regardless of their detectability by NAT. The limitation of NAT detection becomes irrelevant because the inactivation process works on all pathogens present
3Reliability
If low-frequency sonication is combined with photochemical method, then pathogen inactivation effectiveness is improved, but treatment time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two inactivation mechanisms: photochemical inactivation by riboflavin and mechanical inactivation by low-frequency sonication. The combination creates a synergistic effect where both mechanisms work simultaneously to enhance pathogen destruction, achieving better inactivation than either method alone while managing treatment time
4Object-affected harmful factors
If photosensitizer dosage is reduced, then residual toxicity is reduced, but pathogen inactivation effectiveness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the photosensitizer from methylene blue to riboflavin, which has fundamentally different toxicity characteristics. Riboflavin is water-soluble and readily metabolized, allowing for lower effective dosages that maintain inactivation effectiveness while minimizing residual toxicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite treatment system combining riboflavin photosensitizer with low-frequency sonication. This composite approach allows the mechanical sonication to enhance the chemical photochemical reaction efficiency, enabling effective pathogen inactivation at lower riboflavin concentrations
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 combination of sonication and photochemical methods significantly enhances pathogen inactivation, reduces costs, and increases the effectiveness of pathogen inactivation, making the technology more viable for market application and improving blood safety.
Implementation Method 1
adding a photosensitizer, and conducting illumination and low-frequency sonication simultaneously
Implementation Method 2
low-frequency sonication is conducted at a frequency of 15-500 KHz
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a pathogen inactivation method, which is low-frequency sonication together with illumination of a photosensitizer-containing blood sample; and the low-frequency sonication is conducted at a frequency of 15-500 KHz. Through the combination of sonication and photochemical pathogen inactivation technology that enhance and complement each other, the blood pathogen inactivation method provided by the present disclosure enhances a pathogen inactivation effect, reduces a dosage of the photosensitizer, photosensitizer-related blood quality damage, energy demand for the illumination, and pathogen inactivation treatment time, increases the blood illumination thickness for effective pathogen inactivation, saves illumination bag materials, shortens the size of illumination equipment, saves costs, and helps the pathogen inactivation technology go to the market.