Control Valve Flow Paths to Prevent Excess Catheter Priming Fluid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional medication delivery systems often deliver excess medical fluid, such as saline, to patients, which can delay the delivery of medication and is undesirable for fluid-restricted patients.
Innovation Solution
A valve system with a valve element that controls fluid flow to prevent excess medical fluid from entering the patient catheter during priming and directs it back to the syringe, allowing for efficient medication delivery without excess fluid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional IV set with extended tubing is used for medication delivery, then the system can accommodate long tubing configurations, but excess medical fluid (saline) is delivered to the patient during priming, causing delays and potential harm to fluid-restricted patients
Solution Approach 1:
The flow path is segmented into distinct pathways using a valve body with multiple defined flow paths. The valve element creates separate routes: a priming flow path that bypasses the catheter and a dispensing flow path that directs fluid through the catheter. This segmentation allows the system to handle priming and medication delivery separately, preventing excess fluid from entering the patient during priming.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve element acts as an intermediary component that controls and directs fluid flow between different pathways. It mediates between the priming process and the catheter, diverting excess priming fluid away from the patient while still allowing necessary priming to occur in the tubing system.
2Reliability
If saline priming is performed in extended tubing before medication infusion, then the tubing is properly primed, but the priming saline is delivered to the patient before the medication
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body defines separate flow paths for priming and dispensing operations. During priming, the valve element directs saline through the extended tubing via the priming flow path while blocking the catheter flow path. This allows complete priming of long tubing without the priming fluid entering the patient, eliminating the delay previously caused by having to flush priming saline through the catheter.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary priming action in the tubing without involving the catheter. The valve element enables priming saline to traverse the entire extended tubing length and return to the syringe before medication is administered, ensuring the tubing is fully primed but preventing any priming fluid from reaching the patient in advance of the medication.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a valve system with multiple flow paths is implemented, then excess fluid delivery is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple flow path control functions are merged into a single valve body with a centrally located valve element. The valve body integrates the priming flow path, dispensing flow path, and catheter flow path definitions, while the valve element provides centralized control for switching between pathways. This merging approach prevents excess fluid delivery while minimizing the increase in device complexity compared to having separate valves for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
Valves and medication delivery systems including valves are described herein. A valve includes a valve body and a valve element. The valve body defines a first flow path, a second flow path, and a catheter flow path. The valve element is disposed within the valve body, wherein the valve element is configured to permit fluid communication between the first flow path and the second flow path in a priming position, and is configured to permit fluid communication between the first flow path and the catheter flow path in a dispensing position.