Pelletized Microbial Media Rapid Dissolution

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing dry powders for microbial agent testing in chemical/biological assays have slow dissolving and off-gassing properties, which can hinder analysis by forming clumps and affecting light transmittance, especially in samples with high dissolved solids like human urine specimens.

Innovation Solution

A pelletized media is produced by mixing media powder with halogenated water to prevent bacterial contamination, spreading the mixture into a wafer, drying it, and grinding it into pellets, which dissolves rapidly and emits less gas, improving dissolvability and reducing light transmission interference.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If dry powder media is used for microbial testing, then the reagent is easy to store and transport, but it dissolves slowly and forms clumps that interfere with light transmittance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of storageVSAvoiddissolving time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The dry powder media is transformed into pellet form through a process of mixing with treated water, spreading into wafers, drying, and grinding. This segmentation into small pellets increases the surface area to volume ratio, enabling rapid dissolution in less than one minute while maintaining ease of storage and transport.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The physical form of the media is changed from coarse powder to fine pellets with specific size parameters. This parameter change in particle morphology and size distribution optimizes both dissolution speed and light transmittance properties while preserving storage convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of manufacture

If dry powder media is used, then storage is simplified, but off-gassing occurs during dissolution which can interfere with analysis

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of storageVSAvoidoff-gassing

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The media is pre-hydrated with treated water during the pelletization process, forming a semi-solid paste that is then dried. This preliminary action of controlled hydration followed by drying creates a structure that releases minimal gas during final dissolution, eliminating interference with analysis while maintaining storage simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Treated water containing additives that prevent bacterial contamination is used as an intermediary substance during pellet formation. This intermediary facilitates controlled hydration and structure formation that minimizes off-gassing during subsequent dissolution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Quantity of substance

If standard media powders are dissolved in fixed volume of liquid, then concentration is controlled, but dissolution takes longer than analysis time allowing undissolved media to form light-blocking clumps

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconcentration controlVSAvoiddissolution time

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The media is processed into uniformly sized pellets through controlled spreading and grinding, creating consistent particle sizes that dissolve rapidly. This segmentation ensures complete dissolution within analysis time while maintaining precise concentration control through standardized pellet dosing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Loss of time

If pelletized media is produced by mixing with treated water and drying, then dissolvability is improved, but manufacturing process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedissolution timeVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pelletization process uses treated water that serves dual purposes: as a mixing medium and as a bacteriostatic agent. The additives in the treated water prevent bacterial contamination during processing, eliminating the need for separate sterilization steps and simplifying the overall manufacturing process while achieving rapid dissolution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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 pelletized media dissolves significantly faster and produces less off-gassing than powdered media, enhancing light transmission and allowing for more sensitive sample readings, with improved dosing consistency and reduced variance.

Implementation Method 1

mixing a media powder with a treated water, the treated water comprising an additive for substantially preventing bacterial contamination

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBacterial inhibition: Preservative

Implementation Method 2

drying the wafer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 3

a triptic-soy broth powder that dissolves in less than about one minute

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDissolution: Solvation

Data Source

PatentUS8257627B2Rapid dissolve media

Publication Date: 2012.09.04 THREAD BIOSCIENCE INC

AI summary

A method for producing a pelletized material includes mixing a media powder with a treated water, the treated water comprising an additive for substantially preventing bacterial contamination, pouring a mixture of the media powder and the treated water on a non-binding surface, spreading the mixture into a wafer, drying the wafer, and grinding the wafer to produce the pelletized material.