Smart Bag RFID Sensor for Biological Thawing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for thawing biological substances like plasma and blood lack real-time monitoring of physiological and physical parameters, leading to potential errors in temperature control, which can result in hypothermia or protein denaturation, and do not accurately detect the true temperature of the substances during the thawing process.
Innovation Solution
A smart bag system equipped with an inner and outer wall, an electronic device attached to the inner wall with sensors to measure parameters such as temperature, pH, conductivity, glucose, and CO2 levels, and a radio-frequency (RF) device to acquire, store, and wirelessly communicate this data to a reader, ensuring accurate temperature control and monitoring during the thawing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If water bath or water bladder thawing devices are used, then thawing can be performed, but accurate temperature detection of the biological substance is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an RFID tag as an intermediary device that acts as a temperature sensor in direct contact with the biological substance. This RFID tag mediates between the heating element and the control system, providing accurate real-time temperature feedback of the actual substance rather than just the water bath temperature, thereby resolving the measurement accuracy issue.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback by monitoring the temperature via the RFID tag and adjusting the heating power accordingly. The controller receives real-time temperature data and modulates the heating element to maintain the temperature within the desired range, ensuring both accurate measurement and reliable thawing quality control.
2Reliability
If real-time monitoring of physiological and physical parameters is implemented, then quality control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The RFID tag serves multiple functions: it acts as an identification tag for tracking the biological substance, a temperature sensor for monitoring, and a communication interface for data transmission. By consolidating these functions into a single device, the system achieves comprehensive quality control without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The RFID tag is a passive device that harvests power from the RF field for self-powered operation. It automatically performs temperature sensing and wireless data transmission without requiring external power connections or complex wiring, thereby reducing system complexity while enabling continuous monitoring.
3Ease of operation
If passive RFID tag is used for wireless communication, then ease of operation is improved, but power consumption requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic RF interrogation where the reader sends periodic requests and the RFID tag responds only when needed. This periodic communication pattern allows the passive tag to remain in low-power state most of the time, harvesting energy during RF cycles and consuming minimal power overall while maintaining ease of wireless operation.
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 provides real-time monitoring and accurate temperature control, reducing the risk of errors and ensuring the quality of biological substances by maintaining optimal thawing conditions, thus enhancing patient safety.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor configured to measure physiological and/or physical parameters of the biological substances enclosed within the bag
Implementation Method 2
the physiological parameters of the biological substances include temperature, pH, conductivity, glucose, O2, CO2 levels etc.
Implementation Method 3
a radio-frequency (RF) device communicably coupled to the sensor and configured to: (a) acquire from the sensor data associated with the measured parameters, (b) store the acquired sensor data in nonvolatile memory, and (c) communicate the stored data wirelessly to a RF reader
Data Source
AI summary
A cost-effective, single use bag or container is provided for storing biological substances that incorporates on its inner wall an electronic device that is configured to measure physiological and/or physical parameters of the enclosed biological substances, such as source history, identification, demographics, time stamping, temperature, pH, conductivity, glucose, O2, CO2 levels etc. The electronic device of the disclosed bag comprises a sensor configured to measure physiological and/or physical parameters of the biological substances enclosed within the bag, and a radio-frequency (RF) device communicably coupled to the sensor and configured to: (a) acquire from the sensor data associated with the measured parameters, (b) store the acquired sensor data in nonvolatile memory, and (c) communicate the stored data wirelessly to a RF reader.