Disposable Rehydration Capsule with Hollow Flow Tubes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional rehydration systems for cell culture media require significant operator skill and are prone to contamination and costly due to the need for thorough cleaning and the use of stainless steel mixers, which are time-consuming and expensive to validate.

Innovation Solution

A rehydration capsule with a cylindrical body and hollow flow tubes arranged around a central axis, featuring strategically positioned openings for tangential and radial fluid flow to ensure proper hydration and prevent gelatinous media formation, along with a filter to allow dissolved media to pass while retaining undissolved particles, and a method involving tangential, longitudinal, and radial flow of hydrating liquid to efficiently mix and rehydrate media.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional stainless steel mixers are used for rehydration, then mixing effectiveness is achieved, but operator skill requirement increases and contamination risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontamination preventionVSAvoidoperator skill requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the mixing function into separate components: a reusable stainless steel mixer for effective mixing and a disposable capsule containing the media to be rehydrated. This segmentation allows the mixer to be dedicated to mixing operations while the capsule handles containment, reducing cross-contamination risks and operator skill requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces disposable capsules that are discarded after single use. These capsules contain the media to be rehydrated and are disposed of after one use, eliminating the need for thorough cleaning and validation of the mixer between uses, thereby preventing contamination without requiring high operator skill.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Productivity

If conventional stainless steel mixers are used for rehydration, then mixing function is performed, but cleaning time increases and cleaning difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverehydration speedVSAvoidcleaning time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The disposable capsule system allows the mixer to be used without cleaning between uses. The capsule is discarded after single use, eliminating the time-consuming cleaning and validation process while maintaining rapid rehydration capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the media containment function from the mixer itself and places it in a separate disposable capsule. This extraction allows the mixer to remain dedicated to mixing operations without requiring cleaning, as all contact with the media occurs within the disposable capsule.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If single use mixers are used to reduce cleaning requirements, then contamination risk decreases, but cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontamination preventionVSAvoidsystem cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the expensive stainless steel mixer from the disposable capsule, allowing the mixer to be reused multiple times. Only the capsule needs to be disposable, significantly reducing the overall cost compared to using entirely disposable mixing systems while maintaining contamination prevention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The stainless steel mixer can be used with multiple different disposable capsules for various media types, making it a universal mixing device. This multi-functionality reduces the need for multiple specialized mixers, lowering the overall system cost while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 effectively rehydrates media without operator error or contamination, reducing the risk of gelatinous media formation and the need for extensive cleaning, while being more cost-effective and efficient than traditional stainless steel mixers.

Implementation Method 1

providing a tangential flow of hydrating liquid within the capsule so as to provide a swirling motion about a central longitudinal axis of the capsule

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTangential flow:

Implementation Method 2

providing a radial flow of hydrating liquid in the capsule

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRadial flow:

Implementation Method 3

a filter proximate the outlet... passing the mixture through a filter allowing the hydrated media to pass without allowing the media that has not been hydrated to pass

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFiltration: Filter (physical)

Data Source

PatentUS9999862B2Rehydration capsule and method of using the same

Publication Date: 2018.06.19 MEISSNER FILTRATION PRODS

AI summary

A rehydration capsule, and a method of rehydrating media within such capsule, the capsule including a capsule body having an inlet and an outlet, a member proximate the inlet having at least an opening therethrough, a filter proximate the outlet, and a hollow flow tube corresponding to each of said at least one opening mounted to the member and having an inlet at one end aligned with the at least one opening and having at least one opening through its body.