Atraumatic Catheter With Non-Circular Lumen
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current urinary catheters with eyelets cause trauma to the urethra during insertion, lead to infections, and suffer from slow drainage due to turbulent fluid forces and clogging issues.
Innovation Solution
A catheter design featuring a single entrance opening at the first end without eyelets, with a structurally strong atraumatic insertion tip and a lumen that facilitates efficient urine drainage through a non-circular inner surface with channels or dimples to reduce friction and promote flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If eyelets are formed in the catheter body sidewall to facilitate insertion, then insertion is easier, but urethral trauma and infection risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the eyelets from the catheter design entirely. The catheter body sidewall is made continuous without any openings or eyelets, eliminating the source of urethral trauma while maintaining insertion capability through a smooth, rounded tip design.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter tip is designed with localized structural modifications including a rounded or slightly flared geometry with a radius of curvature that provides atraumatic insertion. This local quality change at the insertion end allows easy passage through the urethra without compromising the overall structural integrity of the catheter body.
2Quantity of substance
If eyelets are formed in the catheter body sidewall, then fluid intake is enabled, but drainage time increases due to turbulent fluid forces
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is designed with a continuous, smooth internal lumen from the tip to the exit end, without any interruptions or turbulence-inducing features. This continuous flow path allows urine to drain efficiently through the catheter body without the turbulent forces that would otherwise slow drainage.
3Quantity of substance
If eyelets are formed in the catheter body sidewall, then fluid intake is enabled, but clogging with mucus or debris occurs
Solution Approach 1:
By eliminating the eyelets entirely and replacing them with a continuous catheter body design, the patent removes the specific structural feature that is prone to clogging. The smooth, continuous sidewall prevents mucus and debris from accumulating in eyelet openings, thereby maintaining reliable fluid intake without clogging.
4Ease of operation
If a hemispheric tip is used to facilitate insertion, then insertion is easier, but the catheter becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter incorporates a localized rounded or slightly flared tip design with a specific radius of curvature that provides atraumatic insertion. This minimal structural modification at the insertion end achieves the desired ease of insertion without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A catheter has an entrance opening defined by the first end of a catheter body and non-circular inner surface in cross section. The entrance opening intersects a longitudinal axis extending longitudinally through the center of a lumen adapted to drain urine from a bladder. The non-circular inner surface can have dimples, channels, or grooves, all of which decrease frictional fluid forces against the inner surface as the urine drains. The catheter is free of any eyelets formed in the side wall of the catheter body. The catheter further includes a plurality of distinct longitudinally extending convex outer surfaces and may have an enlarged head.