Catheter Wetting Mechanism With Capillary Applicator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing catheter wetting mechanisms often result in inadequate lubrication of the catheter tube, particularly for male urinary catheters, leading to discomfort, increased risk of trauma and infection, and reduced shelf-life due to moisture exposure.
Innovation Solution
A male urinary catheter with a wetting mechanism featuring a wetting applicator at or proximal to the tip end, which ensures the catheter tube is wetted from the tip end, providing a substantially even coating of wetting fluid and mitigating the risk of contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the catheter is submerged in wetting fluid within the packaging, then the catheter tube is adequately wetted prior to use, but other components such as gripper element or funnel become wetted making it difficult to hold and direct the catheter tube
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging is divided into separate compartments: one for the catheter tube and another for the wetting fluid. The catheter tube is positioned in a chamber that is separate from the wetting fluid reservoir, allowing the tube to be wetted without submerging other components like the gripper element or funnel.
Solution Approach 2:
A wick or capillary structure serves as an intermediary between the wetting fluid reservoir and the catheter tube. The wick delivers wetting fluid to the catheter tube surface through capillary action, ensuring adequate wetting while preventing direct contact between the fluid and other catheter components.
2Reliability
If the catheter is submerged in wetting fluid, then the catheter tube is wetted, but the shelf-life of the catheter is reduced due to long-term exposure of components to moisture
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter tube is wetted immediately prior to use through the designed wetting mechanism, rather than being pre-wetted during storage. The packaging is configured to deliver wetting fluid to the catheter tube at the moment of insertion, ensuring the tube is wetted when needed while preventing prolonged moisture exposure during shelf storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The wetting function is extracted from the storage phase and relocated to the moment of use. The packaging design separates the catheter tube from the wetting fluid during storage, and only brings them into contact when the catheter is ready for insertion, thereby preserving shelf-life while ensuring adequate wetting.
3Ease of operation
If a rupturable container or sachet is used to release wetting fluid, then the catheter tube can be wetted, but the wetting fluid may not fully coat the catheter tube and other components may become wetted
Solution Approach 1:
The wetting mechanism is designed to automatically deliver wetting fluid to the catheter tube as it is inserted into the packaging chamber. The capillary wick or wicking structure self-regulates fluid delivery based on contact with the catheter tube surface, ensuring complete coating without requiring user intervention to control fluid release.
Solution Approach 2:
The wetting mechanism serves multiple functions simultaneously: it delivers wetting fluid to the catheter tube, controls the amount of fluid applied, and prevents fluid contact with other components. The integrated design combines fluid storage, delivery control, and component protection in a single packaging structure.
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 the likelihood of injury due to inadequate wetting, improves user experience by ensuring adequate lubrication, and extends the shelf-life of the catheter by minimizing moisture exposure to non-tube components.
Implementation Method 1
a wetting applicator at or proximal to the tip end of the catheter tube... causing release of the fluid from the wetting applicator thereby wetting the at least a portion of an outer surface of the catheter tube
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
The invention relates to a wetting mechanism 20 for wetting a tube 12 of a catheter 10. The wetting mechanism 20 includes a housing 16 positioned initially at or proximal to the tip end 13 of the catheter tube 12. The housing 16 comprises a wetting chamber 23 into which at least a portion of the catheter tube 12 is able to be introduced and be moved therethrough to wet the catheter tube 12 in use. The wetting mechanism 20 includes a wetting applicator 40 positioned within the wetting chamber 23 configured to hold fluid therein and release said fluid to wet the catheter tube 12 upon movement of the tube 12 through the wetting chamber 23. The wetting mechanism comprises a baffle arrangement. The invention also relates to a male urinary catheter with a catheter tube having a hydrophilic component and the wetting mechanism.