Reusable Filament for Sterile Material Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current laboratory tools for transferring biological and chemical materials face challenges in maintaining sterility and efficiency, particularly during sample preparation, as traditional sterilization methods are time-consuming and prone to contamination.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method utilizing a filament with a driving mechanism and cutting unit for precise material transfer, allowing the filament to be advanced, retracted, and cut to maintain sterility without the need for extensive sterilization, using a filament that can be reused by cutting off contaminated ends.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional sterilization methods (heating, UV-irradiation, washing) are used, then sterility is achieved, but the process becomes time-consuming and tedious
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the contaminated portion (tip) of the filament from the reusable body and discards it, while retaining the main filament for continued use. This eliminates the need to sterilize the entire filament assembly, significantly reducing sterilization time while maintaining sterility for subsequent uses.
Solution Approach 2:
The filament is segmented into a reusable main body and a disposable tip portion. The tip is separated and discarded after contamination, while the main filament remains intact for continued use. This segmentation allows selective disposal of only the contaminated portion rather than the entire filament.
2Reliability
If traditional sterilization methods are used, then sterility is achieved, but the complexity of the process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contaminated tip is extracted and removed from the system, eliminating the need for complex sterilization procedures. The simple act of discarding the tip and advancing a fresh portion replaces multiple sterilization steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The filament tip is designed as a disposable, low-cost component that is discarded after single use. This eliminates the need for complex sterilization infrastructure and procedures, replacing them with simple disposal mechanisms.
3Productivity
If the filament is reused without sterilization, then time efficiency is improved, but contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contaminated tip portion is extracted and removed from the filament, eliminating the contamination source while preserving the reusable main body. This allows continuous operation without contamination risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The contaminated tip is discarded after use, and a fresh portion of the filament is advanced for the next operation. This discarding and recovery cycle maintains sterility while enabling continuous high-speed operation.
4Reliability
If disposable pin tips are used for each transfer, then contamination is avoided, but the cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The single filament serves multiple functions: it acts as both the transfer tool and has a reusable body with a disposable tip. The filament can be advanced, retracted, and reused multiple times with only the tip being discarded, combining features of both reusable and disposable tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The filament system is dynamic, allowing the tip to be advanced and retracted along the filament body. This dynamic configuration enables the same filament to provide multiple tips sequentially, reducing the need for managing multiple separate disposable tips.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for transferring materials such as cells or microbial colonies during sample preparation. The apparatus comprises a filament having a first end for carrying the materials; a head portion adapted to movably receive at least part of the filament; wherein the filament is movable such that the first end protrudes by a pre-determined length from the head portion to allow transfer of the materials to and from the first end. The method comprises steps of arranging a first end of a filament to contact the source location to load the material at the first end; arranging the first end to contact the target location to unload at least part of the materials from the first end; cutting a length of the filament from the first end to generate a fresh end of the filament which is free of the material.