Segmented Porosity Filter for Parasite Filtration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current filtration devices for detecting gastrointestinal parasites in vertebrates, such as humans, cattle, and horses, face challenges in efficiently retaining fats and preventing clogging, especially when using aqueous solutions without organic solvents like formaldehyde, which complicates the detection of parasite eggs in feces.
Innovation Solution
A filtration device with a central body featuring a filter with multiple longitudinal portions of varying porosity, where porosity decreases from the first end to the second end, and a secondary filter with a porosity gradient, designed to retain large particles and fats effectively, reducing clogging and improving filtration speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single porosity filter is used, then the filtration structure is simple, but the filtration efficiency is low and clogging occurs frequently
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is divided into multiple longitudinal portions (first, second, third portions) with different porosities arranged in sequence from the inlet to outlet. This segmentation allows each portion to perform a specific filtering function: the first portion with higher porosity allows rapid initial filtration, while subsequent portions with progressively lower porosity retain finer particles and fats, thereby improving overall filtration efficiency without requiring a single complex high-performance filter.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the filter are assigned different local qualities in terms of porosity. The first portion near the inlet has higher porosity to allow rapid flow and initial particle removal, while the second and third portions have progressively lower porosity to retain smaller particles and fats. This local differentiation of filter properties optimizes the filtration process at each stage, improving overall efficiency while managing complexity through functional zoning.
2Reliability
If a filter with uniform porosity is used, then the device is simple to manufacture, but fats and large particles cause clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is segmented into multiple portions with progressively different porosities. The first portion with higher porosity captures large particles and allows rapid flow, preventing immediate clogging. The second and third portions with lower porosity progressively retain smaller particles and fats. This segmented approach distributes the clogging prevention function across multiple zones, improving reliability while maintaining manufacturability through a modular structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The porosity parameter of the filter is changed progressively across different longitudinal portions. The first portion has higher porosity to allow rapid flow and initial particle removal, while the second and third portions have progressively lower porosity to retain smaller particles and fats. This parameter variation along the filtration path improves anti-clogging performance by preventing any single portion from becoming overwhelmed, while the systematic gradient maintains ease of manufacture.
3Speed
If a filter with high porosity is used, then filtration speed is fast, but fats pass through the filter
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is segmented into portions with different porosity levels. The first portion with higher porosity ensures fast initial filtration speed, while the second and third portions with progressively lower porosity provide the necessary precision to retain fats and smaller particles. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both high speed in the initial stage and high precision in the final stages without compromising either requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
Different local qualities of porosity are assigned to different portions of the filter. The first portion has higher porosity locally to maximize filtration speed, while the second and third portions have progressively lower porosity locally to ensure fat retention. This local differentiation of filter properties allows the system to optimize both speed and precision at different stages of the filtration process.
4Manufacturing precision
If a filter with low porosity is used, then fats are retained effectively, but filtration speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is segmented into portions with progressively different porosities. The first portion with higher porosity maintains fast filtration speed for initial processing, while the second and third portions with lower porosity progressively retain fats and smaller particles. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both high speed in early stages and high precision in later stages, overcoming the trade-off between speed and fat retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The porosity parameter is changed progressively across different portions of the filter. The first portion has higher porosity to maintain fast filtration speed, while the second and third portions have progressively lower porosity to ensure effective fat retention. This systematic parameter change along the filtration path allows the system to optimize both speed and precision without the limitations of a uniform porosity filter.
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 device enhances filtration efficiency by minimizing fat presence in the filtrate, reducing clogging risks, and ensuring reliable detection of parasites without the need for organic solvents, preserving biological integrity and environmental safety.
Implementation Method 1
a substantially tubular filter extending from said first end, and on the other hand, at from the second end, characterized in that the filter comprises at least two longitudinal portions each having a different porosity
Implementation Method 2
the particles and fats are retained by the low porosity portion while the liquid containing less fat and particles is filtered more quickly
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5
AI summary
The device (1) has a central body (2) forming a stopper with a traversing channel. The traversing channel emerges at the level of an end (2a) of the stopper inside a tubular filter (4) and at the level of another end (2b) of the stopper. The tubular filter has two longitudinal portions respectively having different porosities. The end are associated with external threadings (5, 6), respectively, where the threadings are realized rotationally in a same direction.