Pouring Flask Spout and Baffle Design for Bioculture Media Transfer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for filling bioculture bags with growth media result in significant spillage, contamination, and prolonged processing times, while also failing to achieve high cell viability and density within the desired timeframe.
Innovation Solution
A pouring flask with a wide mouth and a cap featuring a spout that mates with standard fittings, incorporating an O-ring seal and a vent hole to reduce spillage and contamination, along with a flask design that includes radially oriented baffles to gently agitate cells without rupturing them, facilitating faster and more efficient fluid transfer and cell growth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If growth media is transferred through a 1/4 inch diameter fitting using pumps or manual pouring, then the bag can be filled, but significant spillage occurs and contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
A pouring flask with a spout is introduced as an intermediary device between the growth media container and the bioculture bag. The spout fits directly into the bag's fitting, creating a controlled transfer path that prevents spillage while enabling rapid filling. The flask acts as a mediator that combines the advantages of both manual pouring (speed) and pump transfer (control).
Solution Approach 2:
The pouring flask is designed as a disposable single-use item, typically made of plastic. This eliminates the need for time-consuming sterilization and cleaning between uses, allowing rapid sequential filling of multiple bags. The low cost of the disposable flask makes this approach economically viable compared to reusable systems requiring extensive maintenance.
2Ease of operation
If growth media is poured manually from a bottle into the bag fitting, then filling can be performed, but contamination risk increases and processing time is prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The pouring flask with its spout serves as a sterile intermediary that maintains a closed system during transfer. The spout inserts directly into the bag fitting, creating a sealed connection that prevents contamination while allowing easy pouring. This eliminates the need to open the bag fitting to the environment during filling.
Solution Approach 2:
The pouring flask is designed to be self-sterilizing through its narrow neck and spout geometry, which prevents contamination during pouring. The design inherently protects the growth media from contamination through its structural features rather than requiring external sterilization processes.
3Productivity
If cells are cultured at higher concentrations to reduce processing time, then productivity increases, but cell viability decreases due to rupture
Solution Approach 1:
The pouring flask enables gentle hydraulic transfer of growth media through controlled pouring. The narrow spout creates a laminar flow that gently introduces media to cells without turbulent mixing or shear forces that could rupture cell membranes. This allows high-density cell cultures to be maintained while achieving rapid growth.
4Loss of substance
If pumps are used to transfer growth media through the fitting, then transfer can be performed, but the process is slow and contamination risk increases if not cleaned adequately
Solution Approach 1:
The pouring flask is designed as a disposable single-use item, typically made of plastic. This eliminates the need for time-consuming sterilization and cleaning between uses, allowing rapid sequential filling of multiple bags. The low cost of the disposable flask makes this approach economically viable compared to reusable systems requiring extensive maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
A pouring flask with a spout is introduced as an intermediary device between the growth media container and the bioculture bag. The spout fits directly into the bag's fitting, creating a controlled transfer path that prevents spillage while enabling rapid filling. The flask acts as a mediator that combines the advantages of both manual pouring (speed) and pump transfer (control).
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 solution significantly reduces spillage and contamination, enables faster filling of bioculture bags, and promotes higher cell viability and density, allowing for quicker cell growth and harvesting while maintaining cell integrity.
Implementation Method 1
A seal on the spout mates with the fitting to reduce spillage. An O-ring seal is believed suitable.
Implementation Method 2
A ring seal is provided inside the cap and interposed between the cap and the rim of the flask, in order to provide a fluid tight seal between the cap and the flask.
Implementation Method 3
The spout has a vent hole to provide a more continuous flow while reducing contamination.
Implementation Method 4
a flask design that includes radially oriented baffles to gently agitate cells without rupturing them
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus are provided for transferring growth media or infection fluids to a bioculture bag having Could Process fitting thereon in fluid communication with the inside of the bag. The media or fluid is placed in a flask. A cap is threaded onto the neck of the flask. The cap has a spout with an opening in a distal end of the spout and a vent hole in the cap. The spout has a tubular end in which the opening is formed, with an O-ring seal adjacent the distal end of the tubular end. The tubular end fits within the fitting and the seal forms a fluid tight seal with the fitting to allow fluid transfer to the bag in reduced time with reduced spillage. The cap is preferably used on a flask having shaped baffles in the bottom. The baffles are highest toward the centerline, and decline in height linearly toward the corners of the flask at an angle of about 9° to the horizontal. The flask is rotated about 80-180 RPM, and the baffles have leading and trailing sides in the direction of rotation that are inclined at about 32° relative to the vertical. A growth media is also provided to culture the cells in the flask.