Drape-Piercing Fluid Path Connector for Negative Pressure Sealing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wound treatment systems face challenges with maintaining controlled negative pressure over a prolonged duration and are prone to leakage and user error in creating a precise fluid communication path between a vacuum source and the wound site.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that includes a body portion with a connection port and suction port, along with a connector that pierces the drape to establish a fluid communication path, reducing the risk of leakage and misalignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a tubular conduit is pinched around the drape to provide a fluid communication path, then the technique is straightforward to use, but leakage paths are formed which degrade negative pressure over time
Solution Approach 1:
The drape is segmented into multiple sealed openings (first opening and second opening) rather than a single large opening. Each opening is independently sealed by the connector body, creating multiple discrete sealing points that reduce the likelihood of leakage compared to a single large sealed area.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector body acts as an intermediary component between the tubular conduit and the drape. It provides a structured interface with defined openings that are precisely sealed, mediating the connection in a way that prevents leakage while maintaining ease of use.
2Ease of manufacture
If the drape is cut to form an opening, then a fluid communication path is established, but the opening size is difficult to control and small orifices are prone to being lost or misaligned
Solution Approach 1:
The connector body is pre-formed with precisely sized and shaped openings during manufacturing, rather than requiring the user to create openings in the drape. This preliminary preparation ensures exact dimensional control and prevents misalignment, as the openings are already in their correct positions and configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector body performs the function of creating precise openings in the drape through its own structure. The pre-formed openings in the connector body automatically define the opening characteristics when the connector is applied, eliminating the need for separate cutting or formatting operations by the user.
3Ease of operation
If adhesive fastening is used to secure the drape, then the drape is attached to the wound site, but leakage paths form that degrade negative pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The connector body serves as an intermediary sealing component between the drape and the internal fluid communication path. It provides a mechanical seal structure that complements the adhesive fastening, creating redundant sealing mechanisms that prevent leakage while maintaining ease of drape attachment.
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 solution provides a reliable and user-friendly method to maintain negative pressure at the wound site with reduced leakage, enhancing the convenience and effectiveness of wound treatment.
Implementation Method 1
a connector at an end of a tubular conduit is locatable through the drape into the orifice to thereby provide a fluid communication path through the drape between the tubular conduit and the wound site
Implementation Method 2
Devices for the generation of negative pressure at the surface of skin have been used for many hundreds of years to treat animal and human bodies
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method are disclosed for providing a fluid communication path to a wound site through a drape. The apparatus comprises a body portion having a lower surface and an upper surface, at least one connection port, at least one suction port and at least one fluid communication passageway between the connection port and the suction port. A connector at an end of at least one tubular conduit is locatable through the drape into an orifice in the connection port to thereby provide a fluid communication path through the drape between the tubular conduit and the wound site.