Catheter Tube Eversion for Friction Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional catheters face issues such as bacterial contamination, irritation, and limited length due to friction and material resistance during insertion, leading to potential infections and inadequate access within body cavities.

Innovation Solution

A catheter design featuring axial reinforcement through longitudinal protrusions and dilating means that allow the catheter tube to evert inside-out, maintaining a smaller diameter in the primary position while increasing the everted region's circumference, reducing friction and enabling longer insertion without collapsing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of moving object

If the catheter tube is made longer to enable deeper insertion into body cavities, then the insertion depth is improved, but the friction and material resistance increase causing the tube to collapse or bend under axial force

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecatheter tube lengthVSAvoidtube structural integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter tube is divided into two functional segments: an everted portion with inverted wall structure that provides external support and prevents collapse, and a non-everted portion that maintains the original configuration. This segmentation allows the tube to achieve greater length while maintaining structural integrity through the distributed support of the everted section.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The wall structure of the catheter tube is inverted in the everted portion, creating an inside-out configuration where the inner surface becomes the outer surface. This inversion transforms the structural weakness of a thin-walled tube into strength by creating an externally supported configuration that resists compression and prevents collapse during deep insertion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Ease of operation

If the catheter tube surface is exposed to non-sterile environment during removal from packaging, then the ease of operation is improved, but the risk of bacterial contamination and infection increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecatheter handlingVSAvoidbacterial contamination

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter tube is everted inside-out during insertion, which reverses the exposure sequence. The portion of the tube that will contact body tissue remains inside the sterile packaging until insertion begins, while the outer surface that handles manipulation is already in its final everted configuration. This inversion allows sterile handling of the tissue-contact surface while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The harmful factor of bacterial contamination is extracted from the system by maintaining the tissue-contact surface in a protected, sterile state within the packaging until the moment of insertion. The everted configuration allows the critical inner surface to remain isolated from non-sterile environments while the outer surface performs all handling functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Speed

If the catheter tube is pushed forcefully to overcome friction and insert deeper, then the insertion speed is improved, but the tissue irritation and trauma increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinsertion speedVSAvoidtissue irritation

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The catheter tube is everted inside-out, which reverses the friction dynamics. The everted portion creates a reduced-friction interface with body tissues due to the inverted wall structure and associated lubrication layer. This allows faster insertion at lower forces, reducing tissue irritation and trauma while maintaining insertion speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS11534578B2Catheter tube

Publication Date: 2022.12.27 RIOCATH MEDICAL DEVICES AS

AI summary

A catheter that has a catheter tube everting inside-out during the process of catheterization. The catheter tube has a plurality of longitudinal protrusions extending from the first end of the catheter tube through at least a portion of the catheter tube, and forming an angle of 0 degrees to 45 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of the catheter tube and facing radially inwards, and provides for dilating a circumference of the catheter tube upon everting the catheter tube inside-out from the first end of the catheter tube.