Sampling Device Ejectable Compartment Gastrointestinal Volume
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sampling devices for the gastrointestinal tract have limitations in acquiring a larger volume of samples, particularly for liquids with varying viscosities, and are not suitable for site-specific sampling within the stomach, ileum, colon, and caecum, which hampers the diagnosis of gastrointestinal health and nutrient absorption efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A sampling device with a separate compartment that can be ejected to increase the sample volume, allowing for adjustable sampling sites along the gastrointestinal tract, equipped with sensors to log pH and temperature, and a retention mechanism that reacts to environmental changes for controlled sample collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a sampling device is designed with a fixed compartment size, then the device structure remains simple, but the sample volume is limited and cannot accommodate larger sample collection needs
Solution Approach 1:
The sampling device is divided into a housing and a separate removable compartment. The compartment can be detached from the housing to allow for larger sample collection capacity while maintaining a compact device structure during transit and storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The compartment is designed to extend in the longitudinal direction when removed from the housing, effectively increasing the sample volume in one dimension while keeping the cross-sectional dimensions compact for easy administration.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the sampling device uses a single fixed compartment, then the device structure is simple, but the device cannot be used for site-specific sampling at different locations in the gastrointestinal tract
Solution Approach 1:
The compartment length is made variable through removal and attachment to the housing. By adjusting whether the compartment is attached or detached, the device can adapt to different sampling site requirements along the gastrointestinal tract.
3Reliability
If the retention mechanism is made sensitive to environmental changes, then the sample collection control is improved, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retention mechanism utilizes natural environmental changes (pH, temperature) encountered in the gastrointestinal tract to automatically trigger compartment release. The mechanism self-activates in response to these environmental conditions without requiring external control systems.
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
Enables the collection of a larger volume of samples, facilitating a broader range of analytical tests and improved understanding of digestive processes, nutrient absorption, and microbial populations across the gastrointestinal tract, enhancing diagnostic capabilities and research.
Implementation Method 1
a retention mechanism that reacts to environmental changes for controlled sample collection
Implementation Method 2
a retention mechanism that reacts to environmental changes for controlled sample collection
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a sampling device 100. The sampling device 100 comprises a separate compartment 110 that is ejected creating an increased space or volume for a sample to be stored. The sampling device 100 of the present invention is suitable for collecting a sample in an aquaculture environment, enclosed system or in the gastrointestinal tract of a human or an animal. The invention also relates to a method of orally administering the device 100 to an animal and recovering the device 100 and/or separate compartment 110 to carry out analysis on the collected sample for diagnosing the health of the gastrointestinal tract and determining nutrient absorption and digestibility.