Spiral Fin Mixing Tip for Uniform Particulate Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional mixing tips for dispensing fluidized coagulant particulates and gases in medical procedures face issues with stratification, leading to variable concentrations and wastage due to laminar flow, which results in inefficient delivery and increased application time.
Innovation Solution
A mixing tip with a housing and a spiral fin within a mixing channel that generates turbulence, ensuring uniform distribution of particulates within the fluid, connected to a cannula for precise dispensing onto anatomical sites.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a flow channel is used to direct fluidized coagulant particulate, then delivery directionality is improved, but particulate stratification occurs due to laminar flow
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing tip introduces dynamic turbulence into the previously static laminar flow system. By creating a chaotic, time-varying flow pattern within the mixing chamber, the system continuously redistributes particulates, preventing stratification while maintaining directional delivery through the controlled outlet geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The mixing tip acts as an intermediary element between the fluidization chamber and the flow channel. It receives the fluidized mixture, performs intermediate mixing to maintain uniformity, and then delivers it to the flow channel, thus decoupling the directional delivery function from the stratification problem.
2Stability of the object's composition
If additional gas is added to re-fluidize particulate, then concentration uniformity is improved, but overall particulate density is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing tip extracts only the necessary mixing function from the system. Instead of adding another full fluidization chamber that would introduce more gas and dilute the mixture, the tip performs localized mixing at the point of delivery, taking out only the essential turbulence-generating function needed to maintain uniformity without excessive gas addition.
Solution Approach 2:
The mixing tip changes the flow regime parameter from laminar to turbulent without changing the gas-to-particulate ratio. By altering the flow dynamics rather than the composition, the system achieves uniform distribution while maintaining high particulate concentration and density.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a mixing tip with spiral fin is used to generate turbulence, then particulate distribution uniformity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing tip employs a spiral fin with curved geometry to generate turbulence. The curved shape naturally creates rotational flow patterns and eddies as the fluid passes through, achieving effective mixing without complex mechanical moving parts. The curvature itself becomes the mixing mechanism, simplifying the overall device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The spiral fin structure is designed to generate turbulence automatically through the flow of fluid itself. The geometry of the fin causes the fluid to swirl and mix as it passes, without requiring external power sources, motors, or controlled movement. The flow field serves its own mixing function through the passive geometric design.
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 mixing tip achieves a uniform density and concentration of particulates in the gas stream, reducing waste and application time by maintaining turbulence and uniform distribution throughout the dispensing process.
Implementation Method 1
the first fin is configured in a generally spiral shape about the mixing channel and positioned between the inlet and the outlet for mixing and generating turbulence in the particulate and the fluid
Implementation Method 2
the leading face is generally convex and the trailing face is generally concave
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~2A
Figure 3~4
AI summary
An applicator (12) and method for dispensing a stream of a particulate and a fluid from a cannula (15) and a mixing tip (14). The mixing tip includes a housing (56) having an inlet (50), an outlet (28), and a mixing channel (52) extending therebetween. A fin (68a,68b,68c) is positioned within the housing and extends along at least a portion of the mixing channel. The fin spirals about the mixing channel from the inlet toward the outlet for mixing and distributing the particulate generally uniformly within the fluid. The stream is directed into the mixing channel of the mixing tip and spiraled along the fin within the mixing channel. The spiraling increases turbulence and mixes the stream into a mixed stream of particulate and fluid. The mixed stream is discharged from the mixing tip for being dispensed onto an anatomical site.