Disposable Plasma Spray Drying Chamber for Aseptic Rehydration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spray drying systems are impractical for use by untrained operators and fail to provide aseptic manufacturing of dried plasma for human or animal medical use, leading to limited availability and accessibility of plasma in emergency situations.
Innovation Solution
A disposable spray drying device with a spray drying head and chamber, utilizing a drying gas source, plasma source, and pressurized aerosol gas source to atomize and evaporate plasma into dried particles, which can be easily operated by minimally trained personnel, maintaining system integrity and allowing for rapid rehydration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional spray drying systems are used, then plasma can be dried, but the systems are complex, difficult to operate, and require highly skilled operators with extensive training
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable drying chamber that is discarded after a single use, eliminating the need for complex cleaning, sterilization, and maintenance procedures. This disposable approach significantly reduces operational complexity and training requirements, allowing minimally trained personnel to operate the system while maintaining aseptic conditions through the pre-sterilized, single-use chamber design.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is divided into separate functional modules: a reusable spray drying head, a disposable drying chamber, and a collection system. This segmentation allows the complex spray drying mechanism to be separated from the sterile containment function, simplifying operation while maintaining专业性 through the specialized disposable chamber.
2Adaptability or versatility
If plasma is stored frozen or as liquid, then plasma is available, but it cannot be readily transported or stored in emergency situations remote from large hospitals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms liquid plasma into dried plasma powder through spray drying, creating a stable solid form that can be stored at ambient temperatures without freezing or refrigeration. This phase transition enables plasma to be transported and stored in remote emergency settings where cold chains are unavailable, while maintaining plasma integrity and activity.
Solution Approach 2:
Plasma is dried and packaged in advance before emergency situations occur, allowing pre-positioning of plasma products in remote locations. The disposable drying chamber enables rapid on-site preparation from liquid plasma donations, ensuring immediate availability in emergency scenarios without requiring time-consuming thawing or preparation processes.
3Productivity
If plasma is thawed for use, then plasma becomes available, but it takes 30-45 minutes or more, which is too slow for emergency situations
Solution Approach 1:
Plasma is prepared in advance by drying it into a stable powder form that can be stored indefinitely. When needed, the dried plasma is rapidly reconstituted by adding liquid, a process that takes minutes compared to the 30-45 minute thawing time of frozen plasma. This preliminary drying action eliminates the time-consuming thawing step while maintaining plasma functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses reverse phase transition logic: instead of thawing solid frozen plasma, the system creates dried plasma powder from liquid plasma that can be rapidly rehydrated. This approach inverts the traditional storage-thawing paradigm, enabling rapid deployment in emergency situations while maintaining plasma integrity.
4Reliability
If spray drying is performed in a reusable chamber, then system integrity can be maintained, but the chamber requires complex cleaning, sterilization, and maintenance procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The drying chamber is designed as a disposable, single-use component that is discarded after one application. This eliminates all cleaning, sterilization, and maintenance requirements while maintaining aseptic integrity through the pre-sterilized, sealed design. The chamber is manufactured under controlled conditions and disposed of after use, transferring the complexity from operation to manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The sterile containment function is extracted from the reusable spray drying system and placed in a separate disposable chamber. This separation allows the reusable spray drying head to focus on its primary function while the disposable chamber provides the necessary aseptic barrier, eliminating the need for complex cleaning and sterilization procedures.
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 system enables aseptic production of dried plasma that can be stored and transported easily, rehydrated quickly, and is suitable for use in emergency settings, overcoming the limitations of traditional systems by providing a safe and efficient method for plasma preparation.
Implementation Method 1
the pressurized aerosol gas atomizes the plasma entering the drying chamber to obtain atomized plasma droplets
Implementation Method 2
atomized plasma droplets evaporate in the presence of the drying gas emitted from the one or more drying gas jets to thereby obtain dried plasma particles
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention includes a spray drying disposable device for use in a spray drying system. The disposable has a spray drying head and a plasma drying chamber. The head has a spray dry nozzle assembly in fluid communication with the plasma source and the pressurized aerosol gas source. The pressurized gas flows in a vortex pattern that atomizes plasma droplets in the chamber. The head also includes a plenum has uniform air pressure of the drying gas. A baffle plate forms the floor of the plenum having drying gas jets that supply drying gas to the chamber. The atomized plasma droplets evaporate in the presence of the drying gas emitted from the jets to obtain dried plasma particles and humid air. A capture filter captures the dried plasma particles and allows the humid air to pass. The humid air passes through the gas outlet and the exhaust port.