Human Milk Heat Treatment for Microbial Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat treatment methods for human milk fail to effectively remove bacterial and viral contamination while preserving immunologically active constituents, as deviations in temperature and time lead to insufficient protection or degradation of these constituents.
Innovation Solution
A specific heat treatment method involving temperatures between 57-61°C for 5-60 minutes, with intervals of elevated and reduced temperatures, ensures broad-spectrum microbial and viral removal while maintaining the integrity of immunologically active components like lactoferrin and sIgA.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If heat treatment temperature is increased to improve microbial removal efficiency, then broadband removal of bacterial and viral contamination is achieved, but immunologically active constituents like lactoferrin, sIgA, and lysozyme degrade and lose efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic heating cycles with multiple heating phases (e.g., three phases at 59-61°C for 10-20 minutes each) separated by cooling intervals. This periodic action allows cumulative microbial deactivation while providing rest periods that prevent thermal degradation of immunologically active constituents, resolving the contradiction between effective pathogen removal and preservation of beneficial components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent precisely controls temperature parameters within a narrow range (57-61°C) and time parameters (5-60 minutes total heating time with specific intervals). By optimizing these parameters and maintaining them within specific windows, the method achieves effective microbial removal while preventing the thermal degradation that occurs at higher temperatures or extended times, thus preserving immunologically active constituents.
2Reliability
If heat treatment time is extended to ensure lasting microbial protection, then broadband microbial and viral removal is achieved, but immunologically important constituents start to degrade and lose efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses periodic heating cycles with accumulated heating time distributed across multiple phases separated by cooling intervals. This approach achieves the necessary cumulative thermal exposure for lasting microbial protection while limiting continuous heat exposure that would cause degradation of immunologically active constituents, thus resolving the time-related contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary heating phases that gradually activate microbial deactivation before reaching maximum cumulative time. By distributing the heating action across multiple preliminary phases with cooling intervals, the method achieves lasting microbial protection through cumulative effect while preventing the continuous thermal stress that leads to constituent degradation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If heat treatment temperature is kept below the specified range to preserve immunological constituents, then immunologically active constituents remain unchanged, but broadband microbial and viral protection is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains temperature within the critical window of 57-61°C, which is sufficiently high to achieve broadband microbial and viral removal while remaining below the threshold that causes significant degradation of immunologically active constituents. This precise parameter control resolves the contradiction between preservation and effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic heating cycles that accumulate microbial deactivation effects over time while maintaining temperature within the safe range. The repeated heating phases ensure sufficient microbial removal effectiveness even at moderate temperatures, resolving the contradiction between temperature restraint and protection effectiveness.
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
This method provides lasting and efficient protection against bacterial and viral contamination while retaining the immunological properties of human milk, specifically preserving key proteins and vitamins within the specified temperature and time window.
Implementation Method 1
a heat source for heating the human milk up to an elevated temperature in the narrow range of 57-61 °C
Implementation Method 2
a cold source for cooling the human milk down to a lower temperature
Implementation Method 3
a milk container is moved, e.g. rotated, to form a milk film on its inner wall
Data Source
Figure 1a~1d
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Method for heat treatment of human milk, wherein the milk is kept at an elevated temperature in a pasteurising step. Removal of bacterial constituents and/or viral constituents can be effected if an elevated temperature in the narrow range of 57-61°C is applied during a time span in the range of 5-60 minutes, with the proviso that for temperatures above 60°C the milk is kept at this temperature for less than 30 minutes.