Modular Wastewater Sampling System for Drug Metabolite Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wastewater sampling methods fail to effectively collect stable samples of drug metabolites upstream from water treatment facilities due to degradation or contamination by biological waste, making accurate monitoring of drug consumption challenging.
Innovation Solution
A wastewater sampling system that includes an inlet tube, high-flow circuit, solid waste filter, and solid-phase extraction cartridge, controlled by a system that initiates wastewater flow, filters solid waste, and diverts samples through the cartridge for precise extraction of drug metabolites, allowing for accurate, localized monitoring of drug consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If wastewater is sampled upstream from water treatment facilities using conventional methods, then sampling is simpler, but the samples become degraded or contaminated by biological waste making accurate monitoring impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the sampling process into separate functional modules: a housing unit, a sampling circuit with filtration components, and a solid-phase extraction cartridge. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function (filtration, extraction, analysis) independently, preventing biological waste contamination from affecting the entire sampling process and enabling accurate drug metabolite detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts and removes harmful biological waste components from the wastewater sample through filtration mechanisms before analysis. The solid-phase extraction cartridge specifically extracts drug metabolites from the filtered sample, separating the analytes of interest from remaining contaminants. This extraction process eliminates the harmful effects of biological waste on measurement accuracy.
2Reliability
If a complex filtration and extraction system is implemented, then sample stability and accuracy improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple functions (pumping, filtration, extraction, and sample collection) into a single integrated housing unit. The sampling circuit combines a filter, extraction cartridge, and pumping mechanism within one compact assembly, reducing device complexity while maintaining sample stability and reliability throughout the sampling process.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing unit serves multiple functions: it houses the sampling circuit, contains the filtration and extraction components, provides structural support, and enables portable deployment. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components and systems, thereby reducing overall device complexity while ensuring reliable sample collection and processing.
3Ease of operation
If modular design with replaceable components is used, then ease of deployment and reduced servicing needs improve, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is designed as modular components that can be manufactured separately and assembled into a complete sampling unit. The housing, sampling circuit, and extraction cartridge are distinct modules that can be produced using standard manufacturing processes, making them easier to manufacture individually while simplifying deployment and servicing through easy replacement of specific modules as needed.
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 system enables the collection of stable wastewater samples with detectable drug metabolites, separating them from biological waste, thereby facilitating accurate monitoring of drug consumption patterns in a geographic region, reducing onsite servicing needs, and streamlining deployment for high-resolution data collection.
Implementation Method 1
a solid waste filter fluidly coupled to the junction
Implementation Method 2
a solid-phase extraction cartridge fluidly coupled to an outlet of the solid waste filter
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein is a wastewater sampling system including: an inlet tube; an outlet port; a high-flow circuit fluidly coupling the inlet tube to the outlet port; a first pump, along the high-flow circuit, configured to pump wastewater through the high flow circuit; a sampling circuit, fluidly coupled to the high-flow circuit via a junction, comprising a solid waste filter fluidly coupled to the junction and a solid-phase extraction cartridge fluidly coupled to an outlet of the solid waste filter; a second pump along the sampling circuit; a controller configured to, during a sampling cycle at a first time, activate the first pump; at a second time, activate the second pump; and at a third time succeeding the second time by a sampling duration, deactivate the second pump.