Sealed Vessel with Piercable Membrane for Leakage-Free Biochemical Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing near-patient biochemical analysis devices face challenges with leakage, contamination risks, and incorrect results due to manual handling and reagent spills, and existing automated solutions are costly and complex.
Innovation Solution
A manually operable disposable device with a sealed vessel containing a thin pierceable membrane for a capillary tube, eliminating the need for negative pressure or injection mechanisms, and incorporating biochemically active substances and marker substances for leakage-free biochemical processing and analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If manual handling methods are used for biochemical analysis, then device complexity is reduced, but leakage and contamination risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible membrane that forms a seal around the capillary tube to contain the liquid sample and reagents. This membrane-based containment system prevents leakage while maintaining a simple manual device structure, resolving the contradiction between device simplicity and leakage prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The capillary tube is inserted through the membrane and nested within the sealed vessel, creating a contained environment for the biochemical reaction. This nested structure allows the sample to be processed within a closed system, preventing contamination and leakage without requiring complex automated mechanisms.
2Reliability
If automated sample preparation is used, then leakage and contamination risks are reduced, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device enables self-service through the natural capillary action and gravity-driven flow of the liquid sample through the membrane and into the reaction chamber. The user simply inserts the capillary tube and initiates the reaction manually, eliminating the need for complex automated sample preparation mechanisms while maintaining leakage-free processing.
3Measurement precision
If transparent cuvettes are used for optical detection, then measurement precision is improved, but the device requires complex biochemical processing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The sealed vessel with membrane containment serves multiple functions: it contains the liquid sample, provides a sealed reaction environment, and allows for both optical and magnetic detection modes. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate transparent cuvette components and complex processing steps while maintaining measurement precision.
4Adaptability or versatility
If magnetic detectors are used, then measurement capability for non-transparent samples is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the sealed vessel with membrane containment and the magnetic detection capability into a single integrated device. The magnetic detector is incorporated within the sealed system, allowing detection of non-transparent samples without requiring additional complex components or separate processing steps.
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 device provides leakage-free biochemical processing and analysis, minimizing contamination and incorrect results without automated sample preparation, ensuring efficient and accurate measurements.
Implementation Method 1
a measured sample volume of the patient's body fluid (for instance blood, plasma, urine, sweat, tears, lymph, amniotic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid and faeces) is collected in a capillary tube
Implementation Method 2
The specific reagents that are used are of the type biochemically (that is biologically and chemically) reactive substances, which may consist of monoclonal antibody, polyclonal antibody, enzyme, inorganic oxidising agents
Implementation Method 3
Optical detectors measure, inter alia, changes of the absorption of light, light scattering, fluorescence, polarisation
Implementation Method 4
Optical detectors measure, inter alia, changes of the absorption of light, light scattering, fluorescence, polarisation
Implementation Method 5
Magnetic detectors measure, inter alia, magnetic permeability and have the advantage that they allow quick and easy detection of the contents in non-transparent cuvettes
Data Source
AI summary
A device for biochemical processing and analysis of a measured sample volume of a sample is described. The device is characterized in that it consists of a sealed vessel (1) and that it comprises at least one thin pierceable membrane (2) through which a capillary tube (3) containing said measured sample volume of a sample can pass into said sealed vessel (1). Said sealed vessel (1) further contains at least one biochemically reactive substance (4) and a liquid (6). A method, wherein the device according to the invention is used for analysis, is also described.