Deformable Blood Line Cuff for Denting Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Blood line sets used in extracorporeal blood treatments face issues with material damage and stress concentration when flexible tubing transitions to rigid sections, leading to potential kinking and denting during bending and coiling, which complicates storage and handling.
Innovation Solution
A cuff is integrated over the medical fluid tubing to provide additional structural support, combining with the tubing to offer a gradual transition in rigidity from the rigid chamber, thereby reducing stress concentrations and preventing material damage by distributing forces more evenly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the fluid line is made flexible to enable bending and coiling for storage, then the ease of operation and storage is improved, but the strength and reliability deteriorate due to stress concentration and material damage at transition points
Solution Approach 1:
A transition component is introduced between the rigid chamber and flexible fluid line to mediate the mechanical stress. This intermediary element has a rigid portion that connects to the chamber and a flexible portion that connects to the fluid line, acting as a stress buffer that protects the fluid line from direct stress concentration at the transition point.
Solution Approach 2:
The transition region is divided into multiple segments: a rigid portion, a flexible portion, and an intermediate transition section. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized for its specific function - the rigid portion provides structural support, the flexible portion allows movement, and the transition section gradually transfers stress between them.
2Strength
If the fluid line is made rigid to provide structural support, then the strength is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in bending and coiling for storage
Solution Approach 1:
The transition component is designed with dynamic characteristics, having a flexible portion that can bend and deform to accommodate coiling and positioning requirements. This dynamic flexibility is combined with rigid portions that maintain structural integrity, allowing the assembly to adapt to different operational configurations while maintaining strength.
3Device complexity
If the transition from rigid chamber to flexible tubing is abrupt, then the device complexity is reduced, but the stress concentration increases leading to material damage
Solution Approach 1:
The transition component exhibits local quality variations along its length. The rigid portion has high structural rigidity for connecting to the chamber, the flexible portion has low rigidity for accommodating movement, and the intermediate section has graded properties that gradually transition between these extremes. This local differentiation of mechanical properties allows stress to be distributed gradually rather than concentrated at a single point.
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 cuff allows for safer bending and coiling of fluid lines without causing material failure, enabling more compact packaging and reducing the risk of kinking and denting, thus facilitating easier handling and storage while maintaining fluid integrity.
Implementation Method 1
the cuff resiliently deforms with the bending fluid line, thus providing additional structural support to the fluid line
Data Source
AI summary
A tubing set includes a rigid medical fluid chamber, medical fluid tubing, and a cuff. The rigid medical fluid chamber includes a housing and a tubular fitting extending from the housing. The medical fluid tubing is connected to the tubular fitting such that the medical fluid tubing is in fluid communication with the medical fluid chamber. The cuff is positioned over a length of the medical fluid tubing to inhibit denting of a wall of a length of the medical fluid tubing connected to the tubular fitting and extending beyond the tubular fitting. The cuff inhibits denting when the medical fluid tubing is coiled.