Endoscope Valve Storage with Porous Barrier

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for storing endoscope valves with their parent endoscope are unsatisfactory in protecting the valves and preventing contamination, as they often use non-dedicated cages or material bags that do not allow disinfection solutions through and can become biohazards, leading to risks of accidental damage and cross-contamination.

Innovation Solution

A single-use storage device with a flexible connecting portion that forms a loop around the endoscope, featuring a tray compartment and a sleeve with interlocking protrusions and apertures for fluid flow, made from plastics resistant to cleaning chemicals, ensuring the valves remain with the endoscope during processing and storage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If non-dedicated cages or material bags are used to store endoscope valves, then the valves can be kept with the endoscope, but the storage method does not allow disinfection solutions to flow through and can become biohazards

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontamination preventionVSAvoiddisinfection solution penetration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The storage device incorporates a porous barrier layer that allows disinfection solutions to penetrate through while preventing contamination. The porous structure enables fluid flow at the molecular level, ensuring that sterilization agents can reach the valves while the barrier maintains its protective function against biohazards.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The storage device uses composite materials combining different layers with specific properties - a porous barrier layer for disinfection penetration, a protective layer for contamination prevention, and a flexible connecting portion for secure attachment. This multi-material construction resolves the contradiction by providing both disinfection access and contamination protection simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Stability of the object's composition

If valves are kept plugged into endoscope ports, then they remain with the endoscope, but this method risks accidental damage and cross-contamination

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve-endoscope associationVSAvoidaccidental damage and cross-contamination risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The storage device segments the valve protection function from the endoscope itself by providing a separate, dedicated storage container. The valve is placed inside the storage device rather than remaining plugged into the endoscope port, maintaining the association while physically isolating the valve from potential damage sources and cross-contamination risks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The storage device acts as an intermediary between the valve and the external environment. It provides a protected interface that maintains the valve's association with the endoscope through the flexible connecting portion while shielding the valve from accidental damage and cross-contamination during storage and transport.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If dedicated storage devices with perforated lids are used, then disinfection solutions can flow through, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisinfection solution penetrationVSAvoidstorage device structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The storage device employs flexible thin-film barriers instead of complex rigid perforated structures. The flexible connecting portion and barrier layers are constructed from thin, adaptable materials that provide effective disinfection penetration pathways while maintaining structural simplicity and ease of integration with the endoscope system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Data Source

PatentEP2632497B1Storage device for endoscopes

Publication Date: 2017.03.15 CANTEL (UK) LTD

AI summary

The present invention relates to a device for storage of medical equipment. In particular, the present invention relates to a single-use storage device for components of a piece of medical equipment that retains the components with the piece of medical equipment. More particularly the storage device may be used to store endoscope valves, with the parent flexible endoscope. A single-use storage device for medical equipment comprises a container portion, for holding one or more pieces of medical equipment, a closure portion, designed to engage with the container portion to form an enclosure around said medical equipment, a plurality of apertures permitting fluid flow through the storage device, and securing means to secure the closure portion to the container portion, the securing means arranged such that once the closure portion has been secured to the container portion using the securing means the closure portion and container portion cannot be separated without permanently disabling the securing means.