Catheter Insertion Device with Elastomeric Membrane for Blood Spatter Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The safe placement of access catheters into small, tortuous, collapsed, or fragile vessels is challenging, and the removal of guidewires and needles poses a risk of blood exposure and spattering, which complicates the process for medical personnel.
Innovation Solution
A catheter insertion device with a tubular access needle and safety guidewire, featuring a spiral tip and an actuator mechanism with a compression spring, allows for simultaneous withdrawal of the needle and guidewire, minimizing blood loss and spattering through an elastomeric membrane and wiping element for blood containment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the guidewire is advanced into the venous lumen and then removed after catheter placement, then the catheter can be successfully positioned, but blood spatter and exposure risk increase during guidewire withdrawal
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful function of the guidewire (carrying blood outward during withdrawal) is extracted by removing the guidewire through a modified catheter structure. The catheter is divided into separate chambers with an elastomeric membrane that allows the guidewire to pass through while containing blood within the catheter lumen, preventing blood spatter during extraction.
Solution Approach 2:
An elastomeric membrane acts as an intermediary between the guidewire and the external environment. This membrane allows the guidewire to pass through while maintaining a seal that prevents blood from escaping the catheter lumen during guidewire withdrawal, thus mediating between the need for guidewire removal and the need to prevent blood spatter.
2Ease of operation
If the needle and guidewire are removed separately, then each component can be handled individually, but the process time increases and blood exposure risk remains
Solution Approach 1:
The removal operations for the needle and guidewire are merged into a single simultaneous action. The catheter design allows both components to be withdrawn together through the elastomeric membrane structure, reducing the number of separate steps required and minimizing the time blood is exposed during the removal process.
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter is pre-configured with the elastomeric membrane and chamber structure before use, so that the blood containment function is already in place. This preliminary preparation allows for immediate blood containment when the removal process begins, eliminating the need for additional containment steps during the actual withdrawal.
3Reliability
If a helical or shaped tip guidewire is used, then guidewire performance is improved, but blood spatter increases during withdrawal
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful effect of the helical guidewire tip (increased blood spatter during withdrawal) is extracted by isolating the guidewire within the catheter lumen. The elastomeric membrane structure allows the helical tip to maintain its performance characteristics while preventing it from contacting and spattering blood during the withdrawal process.
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 device effectively reduces the risk of blood exposure and spattering during guidewire and needle withdrawal, ensuring safer handling and reducing the risk of contamination for medical personnel while maintaining compatibility with automatic retraction mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
an actuator mechanism comprises a compressed compression spring (10) located at a distal end of the housing coaxially over the tubular access needle (7) and safety guidewire (9)
Implementation Method 2
an elastomeric membrane (112) disposed between the first chamber (136) and the second chamber (138), wherein the tubular access needle (7) passes through the elastomeric membrane (112)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
Catheter insertion device, comprising: an outer housing (21); a tubular access needle (9) attached to a needle carrier (6), wherein said needle carrier is slidable with respect to said outer housing; a tubular catheter (102) having a proximal fitting (104) releasably attached at a distal end of said outer housing and positioned coaxially around said tubular access needle, said proximal fitting having; a first chamber (136); a second chamber (138) disposed proximal to the first chamber; and an elastomeric membrane (112) disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein the tubular access needle passes through the elastomeric membrane; a safety guidewire (9) sized and configured to be advanced through said tubular access needle; an actuator mechanism comprises a compressed compression spring (10) located at a distal end of the housing coaxially over the tubular access needle and safety guidewire, wherein the actuator mechanism further includes a button (25).