Self-Sealing Specimen Container Insert for Leakage Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical specimen containers pose risks due to the release of volatile fixative agents and potential leakage when depositing and storing histological samples, as they often require opening and can lead to exposure and bio-hazard contact.
Innovation Solution
A specimen container with a self-sealing insert and resealable septum layer that minimizes fluid leakage and exposure by allowing sample deposition through a sealed aperture, using a water layer to isolate volatile gases and prevent fluid vapor inhalation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the container is opened to deposit the specimen, then the sample can be placed in the fixative agent, but volatile gases are released into the room and may contact the medical personnel and patient
Solution Approach 1:
A sealed insert with aperture acts as an intermediary barrier between the fixative agent and the external environment. The insert allows the biopsy instrument to pass through while maintaining the seal, enabling specimen deposition without direct exposure to volatile gases. The water layer beneath the insert serves as an additional intermediary that traps volatile gases, preventing their release into the room.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is pre-prepared with the fixative agent and sealed insert in place before the specimen deposition procedure. This preliminary configuration establishes protective barriers in advance, so that when the biopsy instrument is inserted through the aperture, the harmful volatile gases are already contained and cannot escape to contact medical personnel or the patient.
2Ease of operation
If the container is opened to deposit the specimen, then the sample can be placed in the fixative agent, but the fixative fluid may splash and increase exposure to hazardous fluid
Solution Approach 1:
The sealed insert with aperture serves as a mediator that separates the deposition action from the fixative fluid. The biopsy instrument passes through the aperture in the insert, which remains in place during deposition. This maintains a physical barrier that prevents direct contact between the operator and the fixative fluid, eliminating the risk of splashing exposure while still allowing the specimen to be deposited into the fluid.
3Ease of operation
If the container lid is improperly sealed, then the container may be easier to open, but the fluid may leak and lead to contact with fixative fluid and bio-hazardous material
Solution Approach 1:
The sealed insert acts as an intermediary containment barrier that is independent of the lid-seal interface. Even if the lid is improperly sealed or loosely fitted, the insert remains in place within the container, maintaining the fluid barrier. This dual-layer approach (lid seal plus insert seal) ensures that fluid containment reliability is maintained even when lid sealing is suboptimal.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a sealed insert with aperture is used to minimize exposure, then hazardous exposure is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The container system is segmented into distinct functional components: the outer container housing, the removable sealed insert with aperture, and the water layer. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the container holds the fluid, the insert provides the sealed access pathway, and the water layer traps volatiles. The modular nature of this segmentation makes the complex system easier to manufacture, assemble, and sterilize while maintaining the protective benefits.
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 container effectively reduces exposure to hazardous fixative agents and vapors, minimizing leakage and maintaining a sterile environment during sample collection and storage.
Implementation Method 1
The insert is self-sealing such that liquid in the container (e.g., a fixative agent such as formaldehyde) does not spill out of the container either prior to or after withdrawal of the medical instrument
Implementation Method 2
The container is configured to hold a water layer between the resealable septum layer and the open top end of the container
Data Source
AI summary
A container for storing a histological sample comprises a container housing having an open top end and a bottom end defining a container interior. The container interior is configured to hold a fluid and receive the sample. A removable lid encloses the open top end. A container insert engages the container housing so as to substantially inhibit leaking of the fluid from the container. The insert includes an aperture configured to permit a sample holder containing the sample passage therethrough so as to enable depositing of the sample within the fluid in the container.