Spherical Biomedical Container Minimizing Dead Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing biomedical containers with flat sheet designs often trap fluid or cellular material in corners and excess surface areas, leading to non-homogeneous samples and potential sterility issues during multiple connections and disconnections, which can skew sample results and compromise processing accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A substantially spherical biomedical container with an inlet and multiple access sites, made from biocompatible materials like polytetrafluoroethylene or polyethylene, that minimizes dead zones by providing a low surface area to volume ratio, ensuring homogeneous mixing and sampling without the need for multiple connections, and includes features like pierceable septums and frangible members for controlled fluid access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If flat sheet containers are used for sampling, then manufacturing is simple and cost-effective, but fluid or cellular material becomes trapped in corners and excess surface areas leading to non-homogeneous samples
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spheroidality by designing the sampling container with a spherical interior chamber instead of flat sheet construction. This curved spherical geometry eliminates corners and minimizes dead spaces where fluid or cellular material could become trapped, thereby ensuring homogeneous samples while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through molding processes
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple connections and disconnections are made for sampling, then additional measurements can be obtained, but sterility of the processing system is jeopardized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by incorporating multiple access sites into a single spherical container design. Each access site can be independently used for sampling or agent addition, allowing multiple measurements and operations to be performed through the same container without requiring multiple separate connections and disconnections, thereby maintaining system sterility while providing versatile sampling capability
3Device complexity
If flat pouch design is used, then container structure is simple, but cells become trapped in spaces between sheets resulting in less than ideal mixing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spheroidality by replacing the flat pouch structure with a spherical interior chamber. This curved spherical geometry eliminates the spaces between sheets that trap cells, allowing for ideal mixing of biological fluid with added agents while maintaining structural simplicity through a single molded component design
Data Source
AI summary
Biomedical containers for sampling and mixing biological fluids are disclosed. The biomedical containers are at least substantially spherical and include access sites for accessing the container interior. The containers may be included as part of a disposable biological fluid processing kit.