Disposable Medical Accessory Holder for Endoscope Valve Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible medical endoscope valves can become separated during reprocessing, leading to cross-contamination risks and failure to maintain high disinfection levels, as existing solutions do not effectively retain and secure these valves during automated reprocessing and conditioning.
Innovation Solution
A single-use medical accessory holder with recesses specifically designed to accommodate different valve configurations, featuring locking mechanisms and protrusions to maintain valves in a compressed state, allowing for secure retention and orientation, and connectors for fluid delivery, ensuring proper reprocessing and conditioning while preventing reuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If valves are removed during reprocessing for thorough cleaning, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the risk of cross-contamination increases due to potential misplacement or mixing of valves from different endoscopes
Solution Approach 1:
The holder provides a nested structure where multiple valves from a single endoscope are retained together within a common container during reprocessing. This nesting approach ensures that valves remain associated with their parent endoscope, preventing cross-contamination while allowing each valve to be individually accessible for cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder acts as an intermediary device between the valves and the reprocessing environment. By introducing this intermediate container, the system maintains the association between valves and their source endoscope while still allowing thorough cleaning to occur, thus mediating between the need for effective cleaning and the prevention of cross-contamination.
2Loss of information
If auxiliary containers are used to hold valves during reprocessing, then organization and traceability are improved, but the risk of cross-contamination persists if containers are reused or improperly managed
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is designed as a single-use disposable item that is discarded after one reprocessing cycle. This eliminates the risk of cross-contamination from container reuse entirely, while still providing the organizational benefits of keeping valves associated with their source endoscope throughout the reprocessing process.
3Device complexity
If spring-activated valves are processed in traditional containers, then processing simplicity is maintained, but incomplete surface exposure occurs preventing thorough disinfection
Solution Approach 1:
The holder incorporates protrusions that actively engage with the spring-activated valves to maintain them in a compressed, open state throughout reprocessing. This dynamic retention mechanism ensures complete surface exposure for thorough disinfection while maintaining processing simplicity through automated engagement and release.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
A medical accessory holder (10) is provided, for use during reprocessing and/or conditioning of medical equipment. The holder comprises a planar base portion (11). At least one recess (12, 13, 14) is provided in the planar base portion, and is adapted to receive a medical accessory (15, 16, 17) firmly engaged therein. The holder (10) further comprises retaining means (22) associated with the base portion (11) and adapted to engage therewith. Once engaged, the retaining means (22) cannot be disengaged, and the medical accessory (15, 16, 17) cannot be removed from the recess (12, 13, 14), without breaking the retaining means (22), thereby rendering the holder suitable only for single use. Attachment means (26) are further provided to enable the holder (10) to be secured to an article of medical equipment with which the medical accessory (15, 16, 17) is associated, during reprocessing thereof.