Coolant Line Clip With Luer Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Commercially available coolant lines used in microwave ablation procedures are prone to kinking and blockages due to their lightweight, flexible material, which can impede coolant circulation, leading to premature shutdown of the microwave generator and tissue overheating.
Innovation Solution
A coolant line clip with a J-shaped housing and luer mechanism that securely engages the tubing to prevent kinking, featuring a channel and passageway design with mechanical interfaces to limit rotation and secure the tubing, ensuring uninterrupted coolant flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If lightweight flexible material (PVC) is used for coolant tubing, then ease of operation and flexibility are improved, but reliability deteriorates due to kinking and blockages
Solution Approach 1:
A support wire is introduced as an intermediary element inside the flexible PVC tubing to prevent kinking and blockages. The support wire maintains the tubing's internal structure while allowing external flexibility, mediating between the need for flexibility and the need to prevent collapse.
Solution Approach 2:
The tubing is constructed as a composite structure combining flexible PVC material with an internal support wire. This composite design provides both the flexibility of PVC and the structural integrity of the wire, preventing kinking while maintaining ease of manipulation.
2Ease of operation
If practitioners pull on the coolant line, then ease of operation is improved for positioning, but reliability deteriorates as kinks form along the tubing
Solution Approach 1:
The support wire acts as a mediator that absorbs and distributes the mechanical stress from pulling forces, preventing the transmission of kinking forces to the tubing walls. This allows repositioning while maintaining tubing integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support wire provides preemptive structural reinforcement within the tubing, cushioning against future kinking forces before they can cause damage. The wire is pre-installed to protect against anticipated manipulation forces during procedures.
3Weight of moving object
If the tubing is made from lightweight material, then weight is reduced for ease of handling, but reliability worsens as the tubing collapses under its own weight
Solution Approach 1:
The tubing combines lightweight PVC with a thin support wire to create a composite structure that maintains low overall weight while gaining collapse resistance. The wire provides structural support without significantly increasing the tubing's weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The support wire is strategically positioned only within the tubing where structural support is needed, rather than making the entire tubing rigid. This localized reinforcement prevents collapse while maintaining flexibility in other areas.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a fluid clip for use with a coolant system for electrosurgical procedures. The fluid clip includes a clip housing having proximal and distal ends and a channel defined therethrough. The channel is dimensioned to receive tubing for carrying a cooling fluid from a cooling source. The fluid clip includes a luer that includes a passageway defined therethrough. The passageway is dimensioned to securely receive the tubing such that the tubing extends through the luer for reception within the channel defined in the clip housing. The luer includes one or more interface on a surface thereof that matingly engages a corresponding interface on the clip housing. The interface on the luer cooperates with the interface on the clip housing to limit rotation of the tubing.