Urinary Catheter Assembly Non-Contact Sterile Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Urinary catheter assemblies often lead to urinary tract infections due to the need to handle the insertable part of the catheter, and existing solutions are either difficult for users with reduced dexterity or not environmentally friendly.
Innovation Solution
A urinary catheter assembly with a package featuring flexible walls and coupling members, allowing the catheter to be extended and inserted without direct contact, using protrusions and depressions for mechanical engagement, and incorporating a tubular member for easy handling and urine diversion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the catheter is removed from the package by peeling layers or manual handling, then the catheter can be accessed for insertion, but the insertable part becomes contaminated by finger contact
Solution Approach 1:
A coupling member acts as an intermediary between the user's hand and the catheter. The user grasps the coupling member on the package exterior, and through mechanical engagement, moves the catheter out without direct hand contact with the sterile insertable portion. This mediator transfers the handling function while preserving sterility.
Solution Approach 2:
The package is segmented into distinct functional zones: a sterile inner region containing the catheter insertable part, and a non-sterile outer region with the coupling member for handling. This segmentation allows different parts of the system to serve different purposes - one requiring sterility, the other requiring ease of grasping and manipulation.
2Reliability
If a magnet and metal components are added to the package for non-contact catheter extension, then contamination is prevented, but environmental friendliness is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces magnetic fields and electromagnetic mechanisms with a purely mechanical coupling system. The coupling member uses mechanical engagement features (protrusions, recesses, interlocking elements) to transfer motion from the package to the catheter, eliminating the need for magnets, metals, and complex actuation mechanisms while maintaining non-contact operation.
3Reliability
If the coupling member is designed for secure engagement, then the catheter can be reliably maneuvered, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling member concentrates engagement features at specific localized points rather than distributing complexity throughout the entire structure. Key engagement elements (protrusions, recesses, friction surfaces) are placed at critical locations to provide reliable mechanical coupling, while the rest of the structure remains simple and straightforward.
Data Source
AI summary
A catheter assembly comprising a urinary catheter and a package with flexible walls is provided. Coupling means in form of a first coupling member on the catheter and a second coupling member on the package is further provided. The coupling means are in form of a protrusion or depression on the second coupling member and a matching depression or protrusion on the first coupling member. The user may move the catheter in and out of the package without touching the catheter itself, thus eliminating or minimizing the risk of contamination of the catheter.