Multi-Sealed Biological Material Container for QC Sample Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing biological material storage containers are bulky due to protruding ports, prone to failure during handling, and lack efficient quality control mechanisms, leading to inefficiencies and potential errors in separating QC samples.
Innovation Solution
A container design with multiple sealed portions defined by layers and frangible regions allows for easy separation of materials into distinct volumes, enabling efficient storage, handling, and quality control without external tools, while maintaining hermetic seals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a port is included in the container to allow fluid conveyance, then fluid access is improved, but the container size increases and storage efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The port is extracted from the main container body and placed in a separate removable portion. This allows the port to be included when fluid access is needed, but removed or separated when not needed, thus reducing the container's storage volume requirement while maintaining fluid access capability when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is segmented into multiple portions including a main body and a separate portion containing the port. This segmentation allows the port-containing portion to be detached, reducing the overall container size for storage while preserving the ability to access fluids when the port portion is attached.
2Ease of operation
If a rigid port extends from the container, then fluid access is improved, but the container becomes prone to failure during handling
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid port is segmented from the main container body by placing it in a separate removable portion. This prevents the rigid port from acting as a stress concentration point on the main container during handling, while still allowing fluid access when the portions are connected.
Solution Approach 2:
The problematic rigid port structure is extracted from the main container body and placed in a separate portion that can be detached. This removes the source of handling failures from the main container while preserving the port's fluid access function when needed.
3Reliability
If separate containers are used for QC samples and primary storage, then quality control is improved, but the system complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The single container is segmented into multiple sealed portions within the same container body, allowing QC samples and primary storage materials to be physically separated yet contained within a unified container structure. This reduces system complexity compared to using entirely separate containers while maintaining quality control separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The QC sample container and primary storage container are merged into a single integrated container with multiple sealed portions. This combines the benefits of separate storage (quality control) with the simplicity of a single container system, reducing the number of external connections and potential failure points.
4Reliability
If separate containers are used for QC samples and primary storage, then quality control is improved, but the time required for sample separation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The container is segmented into multiple sealed portions that can be independently accessed and separated. This allows QC samples to be separated from primary storage materials quickly by simply opening or detaching a sealed portion, rather than requiring complex valve switching or tube manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is pre-configured with sealed portions that separate QC samples from primary storage materials before use. This preliminary separation is already in place when the container is received, eliminating the need for time-consuming separation procedures during the workflow.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus is disclosed having a first layer coupled to a second layer via a plurality of seals to define a storage volume that is separable by at least one intermediate seal into a first volume and a second volume. The intermediate seal is applicable after a material is introduced into the storage volume storage. The apparatus includes a first opening into the storage volume and a second opening into the storage volume. The first opening and the second opening are positioned near opposite edges. The apparatus also includes a first frangible region positioned along the intermediate seal and configured for separation of the first volume and the second volume.