Disposable Evacuated Bottle with Self-Sealing Membrane
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current evacuated glass bottles used in medical settings for draining fluids are a safety hazard due to the risk of breakage and cannot be easily disassembled for proper disposal, leading to improper disposal of fluids and bottles.
Innovation Solution
A removably attached cap assembly with a self-sealing membrane that allows for selective fluid communication, enabling the evacuation of bottles made from shatter-proof materials like medical-grade plastic, which can be gamma gassed sterilized, and includes features like a molded-in eye and internal threads for secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If glass bottles are used for evacuation, then the bottle provides adequate containment, but the bottle creates safety hazards due to breakage risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable plastic bottles instead of reusable glass bottles. The bottles are designed for single-use evacuation procedures and then discarded, eliminating the safety hazard of glass breakage while maintaining adequate containment during use. The plastic material provides sufficient structural integrity for the intended application without the fragility of glass.
2Reliability
If a non-removable cap is used, then the cap provides secure attachment, but the bottle cannot be properly disposed of
Solution Approach 1:
The cap assembly is designed as a separable component from the bottle body. The cap can be removed from the bottle after evacuation, allowing the bottle to be emptied and reused or disposed of separately from the cap. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by maintaining secure attachment during use while enabling easy separation for disposal or reuse.
3Reliability
If a self-sealing membrane is used, then the bottle maintains sterility, but the membrane must be penetrated for evacuation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible self-sealing membrane made of elastomeric material that can be penetrated by needles or catheters and then automatically seals around them. This flexible film maintains sterility by sealing around access devices while allowing fluid evacuation, resolving the contradiction between maintaining sterility and enabling evacuation access.
4Reliability
If glass bottles are used, then the bottle provides chemical inertness, but the bottle creates disposal problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces durable glass bottles with disposable plastic bottles that are chemically inert for the duration of use. After a single evacuation procedure, the entire bottle-cap assembly is discarded as medical waste, eliminating the complex disposal procedures required for glass bottles while maintaining chemical compatibility with bodily fluids during the procedure.
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 safer, more efficient method for evacuating bottles by allowing for the removal of the cap assembly, enabling proper disposal and reducing the risk of breakage, while maintaining sterility and ease of use.
Implementation Method 1
a membrane covering the opening of the bottle that is exposed externally and seals itself after the membrane is penetrated by a needle, cannula or other tubular instrument
Implementation Method 2
evacuated bottle system that includes a cap assembly that is removably attached to the vacuum bottle
Implementation Method 3
a cap that fits over the membrane to hold it over the opening of the bottle, wherein the cap defines a gap above the membrane that allows it to be displaced away from the bottle to allow fluid to flow out of the bottle to form a vacuum or lower pressure within the bottle
Data Source
AI summary
An evacuated bottle system including a bottle defining a hollow interior, the bottle having a neck with a rim defining an opening; a cap assembly supported on the bottle, the cap assembly including a funnel having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being insertable within the interior of the bottle and the second portion engaging a portion of the bottle to support the funnel above the rim, the funnel defining a bore that fluidly communicates with the hollow interior of the bottle; a self-sealing membrane that covers the bore formed by the funnel to selectively seal the hollow interior of the bottle; a cap attachable to the bottle, the cap including a cover portion that extends at least partially over the self-sealing membrane to restrain movement thereof, the cover portion being axially spaced from the self-sealing membrane to define a gap that permits axial movement of the self-sealing membrane to selectively open the bottle to fluid communication outside of the bottle.