Sealing Cap Diaphragm Valve for Sample Preservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing biological sample collection systems require specialized equipment and trained personnel, making it difficult for unskilled users to collect and preserve samples effectively, especially in remote or diverse geographic areas, and often result in sample degradation due to lack of controlled environments.
Innovation Solution
A two-piece sample collection system comprising a sample collection vessel and a sealing cap with a selectively openable diaphragm valve, which includes a reagent chamber and a shim to securely store and dispense preservation solution into the sample collection chamber, allowing unskilled users to collect and preserve biological samples efficiently without specialized equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If commercial kits provide a vial and preservation reagent for self-collection, then unskilled users can collect samples, but the users may make technical errors in preservation due to lack of training
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables the preservation reagent to automatically dispense itself into the sample collection vial when the cap is attached, eliminating the need for users to manually measure and add reagents. The reagent chamber is pre-filled with the exact amount needed, and the diaphragm valve automatically opens to transfer the reagent, ensuring consistent and reliable preservation without requiring user training or technical knowledge.
2Reliability
If specialized equipment and controlled laboratory conditions are used, then sample processing quality is high, but it is difficult to access patients in remote or diverse geographic areas
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the sample collection and preservation process into separate, portable components that can be distributed to remote locations. The collection vial, reagent chamber, and cap with integrated valve mechanism are designed as self-contained units that do not require laboratory infrastructure. This segmentation allows the system to be deployed in diverse geographic settings while maintaining reliable sample preservation quality through the automated reagent delivery mechanism.
3Reliability
If immediate processing of biological samples is required, then sample quality is maintained, but field personnel lack access to specialized equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the sample collection vial, preservation reagent storage chamber, and automated dispensing mechanism into a single integrated cap assembly. This combination eliminates the need for separate specialized equipment for reagent storage and delivery. The diaphragm valve mechanism is integrated into the cap, and the reagent chamber attaches directly to the vial, creating a compact system that maintains sample quality through immediate reagent mixing without requiring complex field equipment.
4Measurement precision
If a diaphragm valve is used to control reagent flow, then precise reagent delivery is achieved, but the valve mechanism adds device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces complex electronically controlled valve mechanisms with a simple mechanical diaphragm valve that opens automatically through pressure differential. When the cap is attached to the vial, the pressure change causes the diaphragm to open and allow reagent flow. This mechanical substitution eliminates the need for motors, sensors, or electronic controls while maintaining precise reagent delivery through the inherent pressure-driven flow control of the diaphragm design.
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 simplifies sample collection and preservation, reducing the likelihood of errors and maintaining sample integrity for diagnostic and genetic analysis, enabling collection in diverse settings without the need for specialized personnel or infrastructure.
Implementation Method 1
a selectively openable diaphragm valve associated with the sealing cap and configured to transition from a closed configuration to an open configuration upon association of the sealing cap with the sample collection vessel
Data Source
AI summary
A biological sample collection system can include a sample collection vessel having a closed first end and an open second for receiving a biological sample. The system can additionally include a sealing cap configured to associate with the sample collection vessel, a reagent chamber secured within an interior space of the sealing cap and retaining a measure of sample preservation solution, a shim circumferentially associated with a proximal end of the reagent chamber and spanning the distance between the reagent chamber and the interior sidewall of the sealing cap, and a plug having a diaphragm configured to selectively engage the shim and form a seal for retaining the sample preservation solution within the reagent chamber. Associating the sealing cap with the sample collection vessel displaces the diaphragm from the shim and breaks the seal formed therebetween, opening a fluid path between the reagent chamber and the sample collection chamber.