Disposable Protective Sleeve for Catheter Electrical Cable
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Solution Overview
Problem
Reusable electrical cables used with electrophysiology catheters face degradation due to harsh sterilization processes, and they are exposed to splashes of blood and bodily fluids during procedures, which requires a protective solution.
Innovation Solution
A disposable protective sleeve with a distal and proximal member, and an elongated flexible tubular member that extends over the electrical cable, providing splashguard protection and easy attachment to a catheter control handle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the electrical cable is exposed during the procedure, then the cable can be easily connected and disconnected, but the cable is exposed to splashes of blood and bodily fluids which requires sterilization that degrades the cable
Solution Approach 1:
A disposable protective sleeve acts as an intermediary barrier between the reusable electrical cable and the harsh sterilization environment. The sleeve is fluid-resistant and can be easily attached and removed, allowing the cable to remain protected during procedures while maintaining ease of connection and disconnection.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective sleeve is designed as a disposable component that is inexpensive relative to the electrical cable. The sleeve is discarded after a single use, eliminating the need to subject the expensive reusable cable to degrading sterilization processes while still providing protection during the procedure.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the electrical cable is covered with a protective sleeve, then the cable is protected from bodily fluids and sterilization, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective sleeve is constructed as a simple flexible thin-film barrier that provides fluid resistance without adding mechanical complexity. The sleeve can be made from materials like plastic film or laminated materials that naturally provide fluid resistance, eliminating the need for complex rigid protective structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective system is segmented into a separate disposable sleeve component rather than integrating protection directly into the cable. This allows the cable to remain simple and reusable while the protective function is isolated to a separate, easily replaceable component.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the protective sleeve is designed to attach to the catheter control handle, then the sleeve remains positioned during the procedure, but the attachment mechanism adds complexity to the handle
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism is extracted from the main control handle design and implemented as a separate, optional feature on the sleeve itself. This allows the sleeve to be attached without modifying the core handle functionality, adding minimal complexity only where needed for attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment mechanism is designed to be universal and simple, potentially using standard attachment methods that work with various handle designs. The sleeve may incorporate features like elastic bands, adhesive strips, or simple mechanical clips that provide stable attachment without requiring complex integrated systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A protective sleeve for shielding an electrical electrophysiology cable from blood and fluid splatter, comprising a distal member with a first through-hole, a proximal member with a second through-hole, and an elongated flexible tubular member therebetween through which the electrical cable can extend. When used with a catheter control handle, the sleeve can assume a stored configuration and a deployed configuration. The sleeve can be stored in a proximal end of the control handle and deployed from the proximal end of the catheter control handle. The sleeve can also be stored separately from the control handle and mounted onto the catheter control handle for deployment in extending over the electrical cable when electrical cable is connected to the catheter control handle. The sleeve can be readily disposed of along with the catheter control handle that is intended for single use.