Catheter Anchoring Device with Lateral Skin Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing catheter anchoring devices that secure the hub to the skin adjacent to the catheter hub lead to frequent movement and dislodgment of catheters, causing issues like 'pistoning,' where the catheter is pulled in and out of the skin and vein, resulting in complications such as catheter tip exposure to bacteria, vein puncture, and thrombosis due to the skin's mobility relative to the underlying vein.
Innovation Solution
A catheter anchoring device with a skin attachment portion that adheres to the skin overlaying and lateral to the subcutaneously located catheter, ensuring that the catheter, skin attachment site, and vein move simultaneously, preventing net movement and twisting, thus securing the catheter in place and reducing the risk of dislodgment and kinking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the catheter hub is secured to the skin adjacent to the hub using prior art anchoring devices, then the catheter is anchored to the skin, but the skin's mobility and stretching cause the catheter to move relative to the vein puncture site, leading to dislodgment and pistoning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a stabilizing element that extends from the anchoring device through the skin to engage the catheter shaft at or near the puncture site. This intermediary structure bridges the gap between the skin surface and the catheter insertion point, ensuring that forces applied to the hub are transmitted through the skin layers to the catheter shaft, preventing relative movement between the skin and catheter at the critical puncture site.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional surface attachment (securing the hub to the skin surface) to a three-dimensional anchoring system that penetrates through the skin layers. The stabilizing element extends vertically through the skin to reach the catheter shaft at the puncture site, adding a depth dimension to the anchoring mechanism and creating a more secure, multi-layered fixation that prevents both surface-level and deep-level catheter movement.
2Ease of operation
If the skin is stretched or moved, then the skin moves independently from underlying structures, but this causes the catheter to move relative to the vein, resulting in pistoning and dislodgment
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing element acts as a mediator that couples the skin movement to the catheter shaft. When the skin stretches or moves, the stabilizing element transmits this movement to the catheter shaft at the puncture site, ensuring that the catheter and skin move together as a unified system rather than independently, thereby preventing relative movement and pistoning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the movement of the skin with the movement of the catheter shaft by mechanically coupling them through the stabilizing element. This integration ensures that skin deformation and catheter position are synchronized, preventing the catheter from moving independently relative to the vein while still allowing natural skin mobility.
3Ease of operation
If the catheter is pulled even a short distance out of the skin, then the hub moves, but this causes the catheter tip to pop out of the vein and blow the IV
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing element serves as a mechanical intermediary that couples the hub movement to the catheter shaft at the puncture site. When the hub is pulled, the stabilizing element transmits this force through the skin layers to the catheter shaft, ensuring that the catheter and skin move together, preventing the catheter tip from popping out of the vein while still allowing the hub to be accessible for manipulation.
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
This design significantly reduces the frequency of catheter movement and dislodgment, minimizing the risk of 'pistoning,' bacterial exposure, vein puncture, and thrombosis, while maintaining secure anchorage and preventing kinking, thereby enhancing the stability and safety of catheter placement.
Implementation Method 1
an adhesive layer configured to adhesively attach the skin attachment portion to the skin
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments include a catheter anchoring device for securing a percutaneous medical catheter inserted at a skin puncture site to a skin of a body. The catheter anchoring device may include a catheter capture portion coupled to a skin attachment portion. The catheter capture portion may be configured to engage with a portion of the catheter protruding from the skin when the catheter is subcutaneously placed in a body. The skin attachment portion may be configured to adhesively attach the anchoring device to the skin, wherein the skin attachment portion is primarily attached to the skin overlaying and lateral to the subcutaneously located catheter.