Disposable Locking Connector for Sterile Dialysis Conduits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Reusable connectors in medical devices, such as hemodialysis systems, pose risks of cross-contamination and infections due to improper cleaning and the use of harsh disinfectants, necessitating a safer, single-use solution that prevents external access and ensures secure locking.
Innovation Solution
A disposable connector design featuring a sleeve with flexible fingers and a collet system that permanently locks conduits, preventing removal by external tools or fingers, ensuring secure and sterile connections within hemodialysis systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If reusable connectors are used in hemodialysis systems, then device durability and reusability are improved, but the risk of cross-contamination and infections increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a disposable connector design where the connector is intended for single use only and then discarded. This eliminates the need for reprocessing and eliminates cross-contamination risks associated with reusable connectors. The connector includes a sleeve with flexible fingers and a collet system that provides secure locking during the single use, after which the entire connector is disposed of.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes the connector from the reusable portion of the hemodialysis system, extracting it as a separate single-use component. This allows the connector to be sterilized individually and disposed of after one use, preventing cross-contamination while maintaining the reusability of other system components.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If reusable connectors are used, then device longevity is improved, but the need for harsh disinfectants increases
Solution Approach 1:
By making the connector disposable, the patent eliminates the need for disinfection processes entirely. The connector is sterilized during manufacturing and sealed in sterile packaging, then used once and discarded, avoiding exposure to harsh disinfectants like formaldehyde that pose health risks.
3Reliability
If a locking mechanism is made permanently secure, then connection reliability is improved, but the ability to release and reuse the connector is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by designing the locking mechanism for permanent security with no release capability. The sleeve includes flexible fingers with barbs that engage with the collet, creating a lock that cannot be released. This is acceptable because the connector is designed for single use only, eliminating the need for release functionality while maximizing connection security during the single use period.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of designing a lockable mechanism that can be unlocked, the patent inverts the approach by designing a mechanism that is lockable but intentionally cannot be unlocked. The flexible fingers with barbs provide one-way locking that secures the connection permanently for the duration of single use.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector for use with a dialyzer to connect a conduit from a dialyzer with a conduit from a dialysate source. The connector includes a sleeve (female component) and a collet (male component). The sleeve has a generally cylindrical shape with an opening at one end having a circular shape with at least one slot positioned along the periphery of the circular shape. The sleeve also includes at least one flexible finger having a barb at a free end. The collet is configured to be housed within an interior chamber of the sleeve and has first and second gaps to house the barbs and first and second deflectable flanges to lock into recesses in a conduit.