Nucleic Acid Extraction Piston With Rotating Port Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional nucleic acid extraction devices have complex structures, leading to inefficient production and use, and require multiple devices for each processing step, resulting in low detection efficiency due to lengthy processes.
Innovation Solution
A piston for nucleic acid extraction with a simplified structure comprising a cylindrical upper body, a lower body with angled liquid and filter ports, and a control module that allows for sequential reagent suction and discharge through rotation, enhancing manufacturing efficiency and extraction process efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple bifurcated flows are created on the piston head to allow rotation and direct inhalation of reagents, then reagent mixing efficiency is improved, but the piston structure becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The piston is divided into an upper body and a lower body, with the lower body further segmented into a disk-shaped body and a shaft. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function independently, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining reagent mixing efficiency through the separated liquid port and filter port arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex bifurcated flow structure is extracted and replaced with a simpler single-flow design where the lower body rotates to sequentially expose liquid port and filter port to reagent chambers. This extraction of complex internal flow paths maintains functional effectiveness while dramatically reducing structural complexity.
2Reliability
If traditional nucleic acid extractors use separate devices for each processing step, then functional specificity is maintained, but detection efficiency decreases due to lengthy processes
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple processing functions (sample mixing, reagent suction, filtration, and nucleic acid extraction) are merged into a single integrated piston cartridge system. The upper body handles sample mixing while the lower body handles reagent handling and filtration, allowing sequential operations without transferring between devices, thus maintaining functional specificity while dramatically improving detection efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston cartridge is designed as a universal multi-functional device that can perform all nucleic acid extraction operations within a single cartridge. The rotation mechanism allows the same piston structure to serve multiple purposes: mixing samples, suctioning reagents, filtering, and extracting nucleic acids, eliminating the need for multiple separate devices.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the lower body is designed with liquid port and filter port at the same distance from center, then symmetric balance is achieved, but reagent handling efficiency may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
While the ports are positioned at the same radial distance from the center for balanced rotation, their angular positions are asymmetrically arranged at 18 degrees to 36 degrees apart. This asymmetric angular arrangement optimizes the sequential exposure of liquid port and filter port to different reagent chambers during rotation, improving reagent handling efficiency while maintaining rotational balance.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a piston of a cartridge for extracting nucleic acids comprising: a cylindrical upper body having a hollow; a lower body having two ports; a control rod module combined to the other end of the upper body to seal the other end and move up and down along the hollow; and a rotation control module that is combined to the shaft of the lower body to transmit a driving force to the lower body.