Package Sorbent Tracking for Chemical and Odor Exposure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shipping technologies do not effectively monitor or detect chemical exposure of packages, which can cause damage to products through exposure to extreme temperatures, shocks, vibrations, or harmful chemicals and odors, leading to altered product quality.
Innovation Solution
A chemical and odor absorbing device with a sorbent material layer attached to or integrated within a package, capable of extracting and concentrating volatile, semi-volatile, and non-volatile compounds, which can be analyzed using thermal desorption, solvent desorption, or energy desorption methods, and integrated with a colorimetric system for real-time monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If packages are monitored for temperature or vibration exposure, then physical damage can be detected, but chemical exposure cannot be determined
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts volatile, semi-volatile, and non-volatile chemical compounds from the surrounding environment using sorbent materials. The sorbent layer is applied to the package and selectively absorbs chemical exposures, which are then desorbed and analyzed separately using thermal desorption or solvent extraction methods, enabling chemical exposure detection without complex continuous monitoring systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces sorbent materials as an intermediary between the package and the chemical environment. These sorbents act as mediators that capture and concentrate chemical compounds during transit, allowing subsequent analysis through standard laboratory techniques rather than requiring direct real-time sensing of chemical exposures
2Reliability
If sorbent material is used to extract chemicals from the environment, then chemical exposure can be tracked, but the device becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a multi-functional sorbent device that can track multiple types of chemical exposures simultaneously (volatile, semi-volatile, and non-volatile compounds) using a single sorbent layer. This universal approach eliminates the need for separate sensors for different chemical types, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive chemical exposure tracking
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes changes in the physical and chemical parameters of sorbent materials to detect and quantify chemical exposures. By measuring changes in sorbent properties (such as mass increase from absorption or spectral changes during desorption), the system reliably tracks chemical exposure without requiring complex electronic sensing components
3Reliability
If real-time monitoring is implemented, then product integrity can be ensured, but the system requires continuous energy input
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary chemical exposure capture during the entire transit period using passive sorbent materials that continuously absorb chemicals without energy input. The actual detection and analysis are performed afterward in the laboratory, eliminating the need for continuous energy consumption during transit while still ensuring product integrity through comprehensive chemical exposure tracking
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
Provides real-time monitoring and historical tracking of chemical exposure, ensuring product integrity by identifying and quantifying harmful substances, reducing the risk of product damage.
Implementation Method 1
A chemical and odor absorbing device with a sorbent material layer attached to or integrated within a package, capable of extracting and concentrating volatile, semi-volatile, and non-volatile compounds
Implementation Method 2
which can be analyzed using thermal desorption, solvent desorption, or energy desorption methods
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for tracking all chemicals, including odors, a package is exposed to throughout the shipping process. A device is attached to the package or placed within the package to extract the chemicals that are in the surrounding environment to the device. The device can extract and concentrate volatile, semi-volatile and non-volatile chemicals that the device and the corresponding package are exposed to throughout the shipping process. The extracted chemicals may then be desorbed from the device and analyzed by an analytical instrumentation method.