Adjustable Catheter Fastener with Rotatable Hook
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fasteners for urinary catheter bags fail to securely attach to various structural members, leading to improper hanging and potential health issues such as obstructions or urinary tract infections due to inability to maintain a vertical centerline orientation.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable fastener with a slide bar, movable and fixed jaws, biasing assembly, and a pivotable hook with a protuberance, allowing secure attachment to multiple structural members while maintaining a vertical catheter bag orientation, utilizing telescoping sections for length adjustment and a locking connector for enhanced stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed fastener design is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability to different structural members and patient positions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener incorporates a telescoping bar with adjustable length and a rotatable hook mechanism, transforming a static fixed design into a dynamic adjustable one. The bar can extend or retract to match different structural member sizes, and the hook can rotate to orient the bag vertically regardless of attachment surface orientation, thereby resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener allows modification of key parameters including bar length (via telescoping sections), hook orientation (via rotation mechanism), and clamping force (via biasing assembly). These parameter changes enable the same device to adapt to various structural members and patient positions without requiring multiple different fastener designs.
2Ease of operation
If the bag is hung from irregular surfaces, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of maintaining vertical orientation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable hook mechanism allows the fastener to dynamically adjust its orientation after attachment. Once clamped to any surface (vertical, horizontal, or irregular), the hook can rotate to ensure the bag hangs vertically, maintaining reliable orientation regardless of the attachment surface geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The biasing assembly pre-applies clamping force to ensure secure attachment before the bag weight is applied. This preliminary action prevents slippage or detachment that could compromise vertical orientation, ensuring reliable hanging on diverse surfaces.
3Reliability
If a non-adjustable fastener is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ability to maintain proper bag orientation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable hook provides the necessary dynamic adjustment capability to maintain vertical bag orientation. The hook can rotate independently after attachment, allowing the bag to be positioned vertically even when attached to surfaces at various angles, justifying the added complexity through improved reliability of orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The single fastener design performs multiple functions: clamping to various surfaces, adjusting bar length for different positions, and rotating the hook for vertical orientation. This multi-functionality achieves reliable vertical orientation without requiring multiple separate adjustment mechanisms.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the fastener is designed for specific structural members, then the device complexity is reduced, but the versatility across different patient environments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener is designed as a universal attachment device that can clamp to various structural members (chair legs, table edges, bed frames) through its adjustable bar and gripping mechanism. The telescoping bar accommodates different member sizes, and the rotatable hook adapts to different orientations, providing environment-wide versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The bar is divided into telescoping sections that can be independently adjusted, allowing the fastener to adapt to different structural member dimensions. This segmentation enables versatility across patient environments without requiring entirely different fastener designs for each environment.
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 adjustable fastener ensures secure, versatile attachment to various structural members, maintaining a vertical catheter bag orientation, reducing the risk of obstructions and infections by providing a stable and adjustable solution for different patient positions and environments.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing assembly attached to the grip assembly and the slide bar that couples them together in such a manner as to apply a prescribed biasing pressure between the contact surfaces that is sufficient to temporarily adhere them to a structural member
Implementation Method 2
hung from objects or structural members in the vicinity of the patient so that the bag's longitudinal centerline is oriented vertically so as to use gravity to assist in the bag's collection process
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable fastener for a urinary catheter bag includes a slide bar, a movable jaw attached to the slide bar, a grip assembly having a passageway that is adapted to accommodate the slide bar, a fixed jaw affixed to the grip assembly, a biasing assembly attached to the grip assembly and slide bar in such a manner so as to apply a prescribed biasing pressure between the jaws to temporarily adhere them to a structural member in the vicinity of a patient who is using the catheter bag, and a hook that is pivotably attached to an end of the slide bar and configured to set the angular orientation of the hook so that the secure hanging of the catheter bag from the fastener is promoted.