Flat Elastomer Conduit for Vacuum Wound Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing attachment devices for vacuum therapy of wounds are often painful and difficult to seal, especially on sensitive wounds, due to concentrated loading and the risk of becoming hooked or caught, and require significant technical and economic effort for effective sealing.
Innovation Solution
A flexible, flat conduit made of elastomer material with a Shore A hardness of no more than 60, extensively connected to a large-area mounting means over at least 70% of its surface, providing a wider contact area for reduced pain and improved sealing, and featuring integrally molded ribs to prevent collapse under vacuum, with a thickness of no more than 7 mm and a width-to-thickness ratio that minimizes discomfort and risk of entanglement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a conventional tubular conduit is used for vacuum therapy, then the structural integrity and vacuum transmission are maintained, but the concentrated loading causes pain and discomfort to the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the conventional circular cross-section conduit into a flat conduit with a significantly different geometric dimensioning. This dimensional change distributes the contact pressure over a larger surface area, reducing concentrated loading on the wound while maintaining structural integrity through the flat geometry and material selection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible elastomer material with Shore A hardness of 20 to 60 for the flat conduit, allowing it to conform to the wound surface and distribute pressure evenly. The flexibility of the thin-walled flat structure reduces pain and discomfort while maintaining sufficient strength for vacuum transmission
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the conduit is made softer to reduce pain, then patient comfort improves, but the conduit may collapse under vacuum pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the Shore A hardness parameter to a specific range of 20 to 60, balancing softness for patient comfort with sufficient rigidity to prevent collapse under vacuum. This parameter optimization ensures the conduit remains reliable while minimizing pain
Solution Approach 2:
The flat conduit geometry with its specific cross-sectional shape provides structural stability under vacuum pressure while maintaining contact with the wound surface. The curved or flattened geometry distributes stress more effectively than a rigid circular tube, preventing collapse while preserving vacuum integrity
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the conduit is extensively connected to the mounting means over at least 70% of its surface, then pressure load is spread over a larger area reducing pain, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the flat conduit directly with the mounting means through extensive bonding over at least 70% of the conduit's projected surface area. This merging of components creates a unified structure that distributes pressure effectively while simplifying the overall device assembly and manufacturing process
Solution Approach 2:
The bonding process is divided into manageable steps: surface preparation, adhesive application to the mounting means, alignment of the flat conduit, and controlled curing. This segmentation of the manufacturing process reduces complexity while achieving the required 70% surface connection for pressure distribution
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 more comfortable and effective sealing mechanism that reduces pain and the risk of entanglement, allowing for efficient vacuum application and wound management with reduced pressure concentration, while being user-friendly and economically reasonable.
Implementation Method 1
The conduit is made from a flexible elastomer material of Shore A hardness of no more than 60... This results in a flexible conduit that proves more pleasant for the patient when contact pressure is exerted on the attachment device or the conduit
Implementation Method 2
a pressure that is reduced with respect to atmospheric pressure in a manner still be described, which is therefore negative pressure with respect to the atmosphere, can be applied and continuously maintained within the sealed wound space
Data Source
AI summary
An attachment device (2) for use in the vacuum therapy of wounds has a vacuum-tight mounting element (6). A conduit is fastening to the upper side of that mounting element in a vacuum-tight manner. The conduit (4) communicates with the wound space through openings (22) in the mounting element (6) and in the vacuum dressing. The conduit (4) is flexible and flat and is connected to the mounting element (6) non-detachably and extensively in a longitudinal section (8) on the wound side over at least 70% of its surface projected perpendicularly onto the mounting means (6). The conduit (4) is made out of a flexible elastomer material of Shore A hardness of no more than 60 and the thickness (D) of the combined conduit (4) and mounting element (6) is no more than 7 mm.