I don't know if this would have a specific use outside of automating IC2exp nuclear reactors but the behavior seems somewhat generic so:
A block/pipe filter (perhaps an addition to EIO/TE/BC) that can be attached to an inventory, which can be given a white list of NBT filterable items to remove from an inventory, as long as it can swap the item with a replacement from its inventory.
So, given a supply of fresh fuel rods, it would extract spent fuel rods from a reactor, and replace them, in place, with fresh ones. Or it could extract damaged cooling components and replace those. Or, given a supply of fresh pickaxes, it could extract damaged picks from a mining machine and replace them.
It would always do a swap - it would never insert into empty slots, or extract if it didn't have a replacement item available.