Sterile Fluid Coupling with Guided Foil Peeling and Reusable Clamp
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for sterile fluid connections in biopharmacy and food industries face challenges such as contamination risks during foil removal, limited mechanical stability, restricted temperature and pressure ranges, and single-use applications, leading to economic inefficiencies and environmental pollution.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a connecting element with a recess to guide and secure foils during peeling, ensuring sterility and mechanical stability, and allowing for reusable connections through a union clamp design that accommodates frustoconical expansions and includes a clamping profile for enhanced biasing force and sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If foils are peeled off from orifices to establish fluid connection, then fluid flow is enabled, but foreign substances may enter and contaminate products
Solution Approach 1:
A connecting element acts as an intermediary component that receives both coupling elements with their foils already in place. The foils are peeled off within the protected environment of the connecting element's recess, preventing foreign substance entry during the peeling process while enabling fluid connection establishment.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling elements are pre-prepared with foils already closed over their orifices before connection. This preliminary sealing allows the foils to be peeled off in a controlled manner within the connecting element, preventing contamination during the connection process while enabling rapid fluid flow establishment.
2Reliability
If single-use coupling systems are employed to ensure sterility, then contamination is prevented, but economic viability decreases and environmental pollution increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into reusable and disposable components. The connecting element is designed as a reusable component that can be sterilized and used multiple times, while only the coupling elements with foils are single-use. This segmentation maintains sterility through the reusable connecting element while reducing material waste by reusing the main body of the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows discarding only the coupling elements with foils after single use, while recovering and reusing the connecting element after sterilization. This selective discarding approach maintains sterility requirements while minimizing material waste and environmental pollution.
3Ease of operation
If conventional coupling elements are used without separation capability, then connection is simple, but mechanical stability is limited under high manipulative forces
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting element features a recess with a curved bottom surface that complements the frustoconical expansion of the coupling elements. This curved geometry distributes manipulative forces more evenly across the connection interface, enhancing mechanical stability while maintaining simple coupling operation through the frustoconical-tapered design.
4Productivity
If fixed hoses are connected to fluid channels, then fluid transport is enabled, but high manipulative forces and moments cause leaking in the connection area
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting element and coupling elements are designed with dynamic stress distribution features, including frustoconical expansions and curved recess surfaces, that allow the connection to accommodate manipulative forces and moments from fixed hoses. This dynamic design maintains sealing reliability under varying mechanical loads while enabling fluid transport.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for providing a sterile fluid connection between a first fluid channel and a second fluid channel. The system includes first and second coupling elements located at an orifice of each the first and second fluid channels, respectively. The first and second coupling element each include a foil that may be peeled off their respective orifices. The system additionally includes a connecting element configured to accommodate the first and second coupling elements and to press the orifices of the first and second fluid channels against one another. Additionally, this connecting element has a recess arranged essentially in the plane of the orifices of the fluid channels for passing the foils through the connecting element.