Variable Reservoir Blood Filtration for Rapid Plasma Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current blood filtration methods, such as centrifugation, are time-consuming and complex, making them unsuitable for urgent or emergency medical applications and point-of-care testing, which requires quick and simple separation of blood components.
Innovation Solution
A blood filtering device with a modular design featuring a housing, filtration section, and variable blood reservoirs with a filter medium, allowing for cross-flow filtration and easy handling, enabling quick separation of plasma/serum from blood cells using a compact and easy-to-operate apparatus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If centrifugation process is used for blood separation, then separation effectiveness is improved, but time consumption and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex mechanical centrifugation system with a simple filtration system using a filter medium. Blood flows through the filter medium under applied pressure, separating plasma/serum from blood cells without requiring rotational mechanical forces or complex centrifugal mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts only the essential separation function from the centrifugation process, using a standalone filter medium that performs plasma/serum separation independently without requiring the full centrifugation apparatus. This extracts the core separation capability while eliminating unnecessary complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If centrifugation process is used for blood separation, then separation effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex mechanical centrifugation system with a simple filtration system using a filter medium. Blood flows through the filter medium under applied pressure, separating plasma/serum from blood cells without requiring rotational mechanical forces or complex centrifugal mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is segmented into distinct functional components: a housing, a filtration section with filter medium, communication paths, and variable blood reservoir volumes. This modular segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining separation effectiveness.
3Productivity
If cross-flow filtration is implemented, then plasma/serum collection efficiency is improved, but device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic variable blood reservoir volumes that can be adjusted during operation. The first blood reservoir volume is variable and coupled with the filtration section, allowing dynamic control of blood flow through the filter medium. This dynamic adjustment enables optimized cross-flow filtration efficiency without requiring complex fixed-structure multi-chamber designs.
4Loss of time
If quick blood separation is achieved through filtration, then time consumption is reduced, but separation precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a filter medium with specific porous structure that allows rapid passage of plasma/serum while effectively retaining blood cells. The porous material enables quick filtration by allowing liquid to pass through pores while blocking larger cellular components, achieving both speed and precision in separation.
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
Enables rapid and efficient collection of plasma/serum with minimal complexity, facilitating immediate analysis and suitable for emergency medical applications and point-of-care testing by allowing multiple iterations of cross-flow filtration within a short time.
Implementation Method 1
the filtration section comprises a raw side and a clean side separated by a filter medium, wherein blood plasma/serum may pass through the filter medium and the residual blood flows through the other of the respective communication paths
Data Source
AI summary
A blood filtering device has a filtration section with filter medium separating raw side and clean side. A first communication path connects raw side and a first variable blood reservoir volume; a second communication path connects raw side and a second variable blood reservoir volume coupled to a receptacle. When varying the first variable blood reservoir volume, blood contained therein flows through first communication path to raw side, plasma/serum passes through the filter medium from raw side to clean side, and residual blood flows from raw side through second communication path into the second variable blood reservoir volume. When varying the second variable blood reservoir volume, blood contained therein flows through second communication path to raw side, plasma/serum passes through the filter medium from raw side to clean side, and residual blood flows from raw side through first communication path into first variable blood reservoir volume.