Self-Heating Device for Biological Samples Using Phase-Change Thermal Regulator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing warming devices for biological samples lack portability and the ability to quickly and uniformly heat samples while maintaining a desired temperature, which can negatively impact cell viability during thawing.
Innovation Solution
A portable device with a heater and an outer chamber made from thermal regulating material that maintains a constant temperature, using a phase-change material to transfer heat to the sample, ensuring uniform heating without damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a water bath is used to warm biological samples, then the samples can be heated, but the device lacks portability and cannot quickly change or equilibrate at desired temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The device divides the heating system into separate functional components: a heater assembly, a thermal regulating material chamber, and a sample receiving region. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, enabling portability while maintaining effective temperature control capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase-change materials that transition between solid and liquid states at specific temperatures. During phase transition, the material absorbs or releases latent heat while maintaining a substantially constant temperature, enabling rapid temperature equilibration and precise thermal regulation in a portable format.
2Productivity
If rapid heating is applied to thaw frozen samples, then the thawing speed increases, but temperature excursions may damage cell viability
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal regulating material undergoes phase change at a predetermined temperature, absorbing excess heat during melting and releasing heat during solidification. This phase transition mechanism maintains the sample temperature within a safe range, preventing thermal damage while enabling rapid thawing through controlled heat transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The device changes the thermal parameters of the heating system by using materials with specific latent heat of fusion values and melting points. This allows the system to rapidly transfer heat during phase transition while maintaining temperature control, achieving both fast thawing and cell viability protection.
3Temperature
If conventional heating methods are used, then samples can be warmed, but the heating is not uniform and may cause temperature excursions
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal regulating material provides passive, uniform temperature distribution through its phase change properties. As the material melts or solidifies, it maintains a constant temperature throughout the sample receiving region, eliminating hot spots and temperature excursions without requiring complex active control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal regulating material automatically regulates temperature through its inherent phase change properties without requiring external control mechanisms. The material self-adjusts by absorbing heat when temperature rises and releasing heat when temperature drops, providing uniform heating through a simple, elegant self-regulating mechanism.
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 efficiently and uniformly warms biological samples to a safe temperature, preventing damage and maintaining sample viability, with the phase-change material providing consistent heat transfer throughout the thawing process.
Implementation Method 1
The thermal regulating material may be a solid material that undergoes a phase change to a liquid state upon exposure to a predetermined temperature imparted to it from the heater
Implementation Method 2
The temperature of the thermal regulating material will remain substantially constant due to its latent heat of fusion while the heat imparted to it from the heater causes the phase change from its solid state to its liquid state
Implementation Method 3
As it melts, the thermal regulating device will transfer heat to the liquid surrounding and in intimate contact with the biological sample
Implementation Method 4
After the heating step is completed the latent heat of fusion of the thermal capacitor again may come into play as the thermal capacitor material re-solidifies
Implementation Method 5
the heat released by the solidification process of the thermal capacitor can continue to warm the liquid surrounding and in intimate contact with the biological sample
Data Source
AI summary
A method and device for warming biological samples utilizes a heater and an outer chamber fabricated from a thermal regulating material. The outer chamber includes an outer surface and an inner surface with the heater being in operative contact with at least a portion of the outer surface of the outer chamber. A biological sample receiving region defined by the inner surface of the outer chamber is included, the biological receiving region being configured to operatively accept a biological sample and, alternatively including a liquid that has a freezing point near to or below that of the biological sample, and, wherein one or more of the inner surface and the liquid is in close and intimate contact with the biological sample. The thermal regulating material may obtain and maintain a substantially constant predetermined temperature when heat is imparted to the outer chamber by the heater.