Portable Heating Jacket for Viscous Pharma Glass Containers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heating devices for viscous veterinary pharmaceutical products are inefficient, bulky, and require external power, making them unsuitable for remote and portable use, especially when the products are contained in thick-walled glass bottles and need to maintain solubility and avoid systemic cold-shock.
Innovation Solution
A compact, self-contained heating device with a hermetically sealed super-cooled metal salt fluid as a heat source, integrated actuator for efficient heat generation, and a thin-walled housing for efficient heat transfer, allowing for heating within the product's protective chamber without external power, ensuring portability and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If external power supply heating devices are used, then heating capability is improved, but device complexity and portability are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the external power supply and control electronics from the heating device, extracting only the essential heating function. The passive heating element (heating jacket) is retained while eliminating all active components requiring external power, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining heating capability through simplified means.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating device is designed to be self-contained and self-powered through the exothermic reaction of the super-cooled metal salt solution. The chemical energy stored in the solution automatically converts to thermal energy when activated, eliminating the need for external power sources and making the device self-sufficient for heating viscous pharmaceutical products.
2Strength
If thick-walled glass containers are used, then product protection is improved, but heat transfer efficiency is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary substance - the super-cooled metal salt solution - that acts as a heat transfer medium between the heating device and the thick-walled glass container. This intermediary provides intense localized heat generation that can penetrate through the thick glass walls effectively, overcoming the heat transfer barrier while maintaining product protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the thermal parameters of the heating system by using a phase-change material (super-cooled metal salt solution) that releases large amounts of latent heat during crystallization. This parameter change enables effective heat transfer through thick glass walls by providing intense, concentrated thermal energy that overcomes the insulating effect of the thick container walls.
3Productivity
If heating time is reduced, then productivity is improved, but heating effectiveness is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the phase transition of the super-cooled metal salt solution from liquid to solid crystalline state. This phase change releases a large amount of latent heat rapidly, providing intense heating that can effectively warm viscous pharmaceutical products in a short time period, thus improving both heating speed and heating effectiveness simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating device employs periodic action through the controlled activation of the super-cooled metal salt solution. The solution can be activated on-demand when heating is required, and can be re-cooled and re-activated multiple times. This periodic activation provides rapid heating cycles that improve productivity while ensuring adequate heating effectiveness for each administration.
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 effectively raises the temperature of viscous pharmaceutical products from 4°C to 25°C within a short time, ensuring solubility and safety while maintaining portability and reducing the risk of breakage, with a lightweight and reusable design.
Implementation Method 1
a hermetically sealed package containing a super-cooled metal salt fluid or liquid and an actuator for activating the super-cooled metal salt to produce heat
Implementation Method 2
activating the super-cooled metal salt to produce heat
Implementation Method 3
a substantially rigid, thin-walled housing defining an openable chamber for receiving the container
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A heating device (1) is described for a container (7) of a liquid pharmaceutical product having a viscosity of 50-500 cP at 4°C and contained within a glass container. The device (1) comprises a substantially rigid, thin-walled housing (2) defining an openable chamber for receiving the container (7), a heat source (6) in the chamber comprising a hermetically sealed package containing a super-cooled metal salt fluid or liquid and an actuator (14) for activating the super-cooled metal salt to produce heat, wherein the ratio of the volume of the metal salt to the intended volume of the product is no more than 1:1.