Segmented Lyophilisation Data Collector for Small Vials
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data collectors for lyophilization processes interfere with the lyophilization process and are not compatible with small product containers, requiring large vials or thermal energy conduction through cable connections, which affect the process's precision and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A data collector design with separate compartments for the battery and electronics unit, allowing minimal space usage and thermal isolation, equipped with a thermocouple sensor and wireless transmission, and adaptable to fit various container sizes using an eight-shaped configuration and adaptor modules, minimizing impact on the lyophilization process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the data collector is placed inside the lyophilisation chamber with product containers, then data collection is enabled, but the data collector interferes with the lyophilisation process and affects measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The data collector is divided into separate functional modules: a sensor unit that can be placed inside the vial and an electronics unit housed in a separate container. This segmentation allows the sensor to monitor the product while the electronics remain isolated in a dedicated space, minimizing interference with the lyophilisation process and enabling accurate measurements without compromising process integrity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the data collector replaces the cap on the vial, then data collection is enabled, but the vials must be relatively big to support the data collector
Solution Approach 1:
The data collector system is segmented into a small sensor portion that fits inside the vial and an electronics portion housed in a separate container. This allows the sensor to be placed in small vials without requiring the vial itself to be large, thereby maintaining compatibility with various vial sizes including small ones, while still providing full data collection functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing all electronics inside the vial (one-dimensional constraint), the system uses a second container to house the electronics unit, effectively moving the problem to another dimension. This allows small vials to be used while the electronics reside in the external container, resolving the size conflict and enabling versatility across different vial dimensions.
3Loss of information
If cable connections are used to transmit data outside the lyophilisation chamber, then data transmission is enabled, but thermal energy is conducted through the cables affecting the lyophilisation process
Solution Approach 1:
The electronics unit is extracted from the lyophilisation chamber environment and placed in a separate container outside the product array. Data transmission is achieved through wireless communication or cables that pass through thermal insulation barriers, thereby extracting the thermal conduction problem from the system and preventing heat transfer that would interfere with the lyophilisation process while maintaining data transmission capability.
4Measurement precision
If the data collector occupies space in the array of product containers, then data collection is enabled, but the capacity of the lyophilisation chamber is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The data collection system is segmented so that only the minimal sensor portion occupies space within the product container array, while the bulk of the electronics unit is housed in a separate container. This segmentation minimizes the space required in the lyophilisation chamber, preserving chamber capacity and productivity while maintaining full process monitoring capability through the distributed sensor-electronics architecture.
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 allows for precise monitoring of lyophilization processes with minimal disruption, enabling automatic loading and real-time data transmission, while being compatible with small vials and various container sizes, ensuring accurate and efficient data collection.
Implementation Method 1
equipped with a thermocouple sensor
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
Figure 6~7D
AI summary
A data collector for use in monitoring a lyophilisation process of a product in a test product container in a lyophilisation chamber, said data collector comprising a battery, a measuring device including an electronics unit and a sensor configured for being arranged in said test product container, a first compartment in a first portion, a second compartment in a second portion, a first end surface configured for resting on the support surface, and a second end surface opposite to the first end surface, wherein said first and second portions are arranged side-by-side when seen in a plane defined by the first end surface, and wherein the battery is housed in the first compartment and the electronics unit of the measuring device is housed in the second compartment, such that the battery and the electronics unit are separate from each other.