Coded Fluid Connector That Opens Only on Correct Mating
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Solution Overview
Problem
In extracorporeal blood treatment, there is a risk of accidentally infusing the wrong treatment liquid due to mix-ups between different treatment liquid bags connected to a tube system, posing significant health risks.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring complementary projection and receptacle elements that ensure a fluid-tight connection only when correctly mated, preventing the opening of a sealing element unless the connector parts are complementary, thus preventing incorrect liquid administration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If connector parts are designed with coding elements (projection and receptacle) to prevent wrong connections, then patient safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connector parts feature asymmetric coding elements: one connector part has a projection while the complementary connector part has a corresponding receptacle. This asymmetric design ensures that only matching connector parts can be joined together, preventing wrong connections and improving patient safety while adding minimal structural complexity.
2Reliability
If the opening element is positioned to open the sealing element only when connector parts are correctly mated, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is designed so that the opening element is pre-positioned to automatically open the sealing element (septum or sealing disc) only when the connector parts are correctly mated with projection in receptacle. This preliminary positioning ensures that the sealing element is opened at the precise moment of correct connection, preventing premature opening while maintaining intuitive operation through automatic activation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a connector comprising at least a first connector part and at least a second connector part, wherein the connector parts can be connected to each other in a fluid-tight manner and can be locked to each other by means of at least one locking element, wherein one of the connector parts has at least one sealing element, in particular a septum or a sealing disc, which is flow-blocking in the closed state and can be opened, and the other of the connector parts has at least one opening element for opening the sealing element, and wherein one of the connector parts has at least one projection and the other of the connector parts has at least one receptacle, wherein the opening element and the sealing element are arranged to each other in such a way that the opening element opens the sealing element only when the projection is inserted into the receptacle.