Catheter Tube Controller with Elastic Tension Spring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for securing urinary catheters fail to adequately compensate for changes in tube length, leading to discomfort, irritation, and increased risk of infection due to pistoning, where the catheter moves within the bladder, causing friction and potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A device with a tension spring mechanism that maintains a consistent, minimal pull on the catheter to keep it at the bladder bottom, compensating for changes in tube length and reducing pistoning, while being non-invasive and low-cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a drainage tube is secured to the leg with sufficient length to form a loop, then the catheter is protected from pulling out, but the catheter becomes free to move within the bladder causing discomfort and irritation
Solution Approach 1:
A tube controller device is introduced as an intermediary between the drainage tube and the catheter. This device includes a tube loop with an elastic member that acts as a mediator to compensate for leg movements and maintain catheter position at the bladder bottom, preventing both dislodgement and excessive movement into the bladder.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic member in the tube loop changes the physical parameter of the tubing system by providing dynamic tension compensation. As the leg moves, the elastic member stretches and contracts to maintain optimal tension on the drainage tube, keeping the catheter balloon at the bladder bottom without allowing it to move freely.
2Reliability
If the catheter is fastened directly to the thigh, then the catheter is secured, but it pistons in and out with every leg movement causing potential bladder damage
Solution Approach 1:
The tube controller device with its elastic member acts as a buffer intermediary between the catheter and the external environment. It absorbs the mechanical stress of leg movements through elastic deformation, preventing direct transmission of pistoning forces to the catheter-bladder interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic member provides beforehand cushioning by being pre-stretched to maintain constant tension on the drainage tube. This pre-tensioning creates a cushioning effect that absorbs sudden movements and prevents sharp pistoning actions from reaching the catheter.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a tension spring mechanism is used to maintain minimal pull on the catheter, then pistoning is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic member is designed to be self-adjusting, automatically compensating for changes in tube length due to leg movements without requiring external control mechanisms. The system serves itself by using the elastic properties of the member to maintain optimal tension dynamically.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic member utilizes changes in its physical state (elastic deformation) to provide the necessary tension adjustment. By exploiting material elasticity, the system achieves complex tension regulation through a simple physical parameter change rather than a complex mechanical control system.
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 solution effectively reduces discomfort and infection risk by stabilizing the catheter, minimizing friction and foreign matter introduction, potentially saving millions in healthcare costs and preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infections.
Implementation Method 1
A device with a tension spring mechanism that maintains a consistent, minimal pull on the catheter to keep it at the bladder bottom, compensating for changes in tube length
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment is an improved method for providing a tube for attachment to a medical device such as a catheter that provides for intermittent changes in tube path length as a result of body movement thereby reducing the stress and pain caused by pulling on the device, as well as the optional provision to provide a very low, controlled tension that provides improved stability of the medical device without damage to the surrounding body tissues. This controlled tension can be applied or removed intermittently by a medical practitioner or the patient. The tubal devices shown in Fig and Fig both provide for extension in tubal path length while simultaneously providing for intermittent or continuous low tension pull on the catheter. Provision is also made for a continuous smooth fluid path with no moving internal parts.