Antiseptic Cap Thread Cover for Catheter Seal Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current catheter lock techniques and devices face challenges in preventing thrombosis, excessive anticoagulation, and infection risks, particularly in maintaining the sterility and patency of indwelling central venous catheters during non-use periods.
Innovation Solution
An antiseptic cap with a thread cover is designed to enhance the seal between the cap and the catheter access site, utilizing an antiseptic solution and a thread cover made of a deformable material to prevent the ingress of pathogens and retain antiseptic fluids, while also featuring mechanisms to prevent relative rotation between the cap and syringe barrel, ensuring secure engagement with various access devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a standard cap is used without a thread cover, then the device complexity is reduced, but the seal between the cap and access site is compromised allowing pathogen ingress
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is divided into separate functional components: a cap body and a thread cover. The thread cover is a distinct element that can be removed and replaced, allowing the sealing function to be enhanced without permanently complicating the entire cap structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The thread cover acts as an intermediary element between the cap and the access site threads. It provides an additional sealing interface that mediates the connection, preventing pathogen ingress through the thread interface while maintaining compatibility with standard access devices.
2Strength
If the thread cover is made of rigid material, then the structural strength is improved, but the adaptability to different access devices is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The thread cover is made from elastomeric material that can change its physical parameters (shape, size) in response to engagement forces. This allows the cover to adapt to slight variations in access device dimensions while maintaining sufficient structural strength to provide an effective seal.
Solution Approach 2:
The thread cover utilizes a flexible elastomeric shell that can deform to conform to the access device threads. This flexibility enables compatibility with different access devices while the material properties maintain adequate strength for sealing purposes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the thread cover is made of elastomeric material, then the adaptability to different access devices is improved, but the manufacturing precision becomes more difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric thread cover is designed as a flexible shell that compensates for dimensional variations through elastic deformation. This approach tolerates manufacturing variations in both the cover and access devices, reducing the stringency of precision requirements while maintaining effective seals.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric material properties allow the thread cover to change its dimensional parameters dynamically during engagement. This compensates for manufacturing tolerances by allowing the cover to deform and conform to the actual dimensions of the access device rather than requiring exact dimensional matches.
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 antiseptic cap effectively maintains catheter sterility, prevents contamination, and reduces the risk of thrombosis and infection by ensuring a secure and sealed connection, thereby improving the safety and efficacy of catheter locking procedures.
Implementation Method 1
The thread cover (302) is made of a deformable material and can be deformed upon application of a moderate force
Data Source
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Figure 9~14
AI summary
A syringe assembly (10) including: (1) a syringe barrel (14) defining a chamber (18); (2) a plunger (12) mounted in the chamber (18) and moveable with respect to the barrel (14); and (3) a cap assembly (80) containing a cap (82) and an absorbent material (86) is removably attached to the plunger.