Retractable Assembly Leakage Path for Aseptic Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Retractable assemblies in analytical process technology face contamination issues due to gaps and dead spaces formed by seals, which can lead to particle deposition, scaling, biofilm formation, and microbial contamination, compromising the integrity of the medium and posing hygiene risks.
Innovation Solution
A retractable assembly design featuring a cylindrical housing with an encircling groove and expansion spaces, an immersion tube with a dynamic sealing surface, and a leakage path connecting the expansion spaces to the environment, allowing for gap-free sealing and detection of contamination through a connected measuring device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a seal is used to seal the service chamber from the containment, then the service chamber is sealed to prevent medium contamination, but gaps and dead spaces are formed where particles can deposit and biofilms can form
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the potentially harmful expansion space from the sealed service chamber by providing a leakage path that opens it to the environment. This allows the expansion space to be separated from the sterile containment while maintaining the sealing function, thereby eliminating dead spaces where contamination could occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The leakage path acts as an intermediary element between the expansion space and the environment. It allows controlled communication between these regions, enabling the expansion space to vent to the environment while preventing uncontrolled contamination of the service chamber, thus mediating between sealing requirements and contamination prevention.
2Reliability
If the service chamber is completely sealed, then contamination is prevented, but leakage or contamination cannot be detected
Solution Approach 1:
The leakage path provides a feedback mechanism that allows the system to detect contamination or leakage conditions. By allowing controlled communication between the expansion space and environment, any unauthorized medium entry can be detected through pressure changes, fluid presence, or other measurable parameters, providing feedback on sealing integrity.
3Ease of manufacture
If a rectangular groove is used for the seal, then the seal can be installed, but gaps frequently arise that form dead spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses the gap problem by adding a temporal dimension through the leakage path. Instead of trying to eliminate gaps through perfect geometric fitting, the solution allows controlled fluid communication in the fourth dimension (time), enabling detection and prevention of contamination through the leakage path while maintaining the simple rectangular groove geometry.
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 ensures aseptic conditions by preventing contamination within the expansion spaces, facilitating easy cleaning, and providing a means to detect any leakage, thereby maintaining the integrity and hygiene of the medium during service operations.
Implementation Method 1
the housing includes a leakage path, which connects the expansion space, especially the expansion spaces, with the environment
Implementation Method 2
the service chamber is so sealed from the containment, in which the medium is located, that no exchange of medium/liquid can take place
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a retractable assembly for immersion, flow and attachment measuring systems in analytical process technology that includes an essentially hollow cylindrically shaped housing having a service chamber formed in its interior, where the housing includes an encircling groove open to its interior, where the groove includes an expansion space expanding the groove, where the expansion space is arranged on the side of the groove facing away from the interior, and where the housing includes a leakage path, which connects the expansion space with the environment.