Breakaway Chest Drain Connector With One-Way Valve Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Chest drains can be accidentally dislodged or pulled out, leading to patient discomfort, increased risk of infection, and prolonged treatment times, especially when connected via long tubing that can easily become caught during patient movement.
Innovation Solution
A chest drain connector with separable first and second parts, secured by magnets or releasable catches, allowing the connector to break away safely if excessive force is applied, maintaining fluid flow while preventing air ingress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If long tubing is used to connect the chest drain to the collection bottle, then the drainage system can function properly with the bottle positioned lower than the patient's chest, but the tubing can easily become caught and dislodged during patient movement, resulting in the chest drain coming under tension
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into a first part connected to the chest drain tube and a second part connected to the collection bottle, with a separable connection between them. This segmentation allows the system to maintain functionality while creating a controlled weak point that can separate safely under excessive tension, preventing damage to the chest drain insertion site.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector acts as an intermediary component between the chest drain tube and the collection bottle. It includes a one-way valve that allows fluid to pass through while preventing air from entering, and a separable connection that provides a safe failure mode if excessive force is applied during patient movement.
2Reliability
If the chest drain is securely fastened using sutures, then the chance of accidental removal is reduced, but there is still around a 7% chance of accidental removal and sutures can cause patient discomfort and increased infection risk
Solution Approach 1:
The separable connector design provides a predetermined weak point that will fail before the sutured chest drain site does. This beforehand cushioning ensures that if excessive force is applied, the connector separates safely at the designed separation force threshold, protecting the patient from more serious injury and reducing infection risk compared to suture failure.
3Reliability
If a balloon ICD is used to more securely fasten the chest drain, then the retention is improved, but if dislodged this can result in a larger hole at the point of incision, requiring further repair and risk of adverse events
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is designed with a defined separation force threshold that is lower than the force required to damage the chest drain insertion site. This beforehand cushioning ensures that if dislodgement occurs, the connector will separate at the predetermined weak point before any force is transmitted to the incision, preventing larger holes and reducing the risk of adverse events.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the connector is made separable with a defined threshold separation force, then safe separation is enabled if tubing becomes caught, but the connection must remain secure during normal patient movement and operation
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is designed with specific physical parameters including flange dimensions, magnet strength, and catch engagement forces that create a defined separation force threshold. This threshold is calibrated to be high enough to maintain security during normal patient movement but low enough to allow safe separation if tubing becomes caught, achieving both connection security and adaptability.
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
Ensures secure and uninterrupted fluid drainage even during patient movement, reducing the risk of dislodgment and infection, with easy reconnection and minimal contamination risk.
Implementation Method 1
a one-way valve and a first flange surrounding the one-way valve
Implementation Method 2
secured by magnets or releasable catches
Data Source
AI summary
A breakaway chest drain connector, which includes a first part having an inlet for connecting to an upstream portion of a chest drain tube, a one-way valve and a first flange surrounding the one-way valve; and a second part having an outlet for connecting to a downstream portion of the chest tube, a second flange and a hollow protrusion, the second flange surrounding the hollow protrusion. The second part is connectable to the first part by securing the first flange to the second flange such that the hollow protrusion passes through the one-way valve to form an uninterrupted fluid flow passage from the inlet through the hollow protrusion and the outlet along a longitudinal axis of the connector. The first and second flanges are separable by applying a longitudinal separation force above a defined threshold separation force.