Flexible Cap for Conical Connectors with Dome Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical device connectors, such as luer-lock fittings, face challenges with fluid and gas leakage prevention, particularly with twist caps that can be complex to use and prone to unintentional dislodgement, and push caps that may not provide a secure seal on conical surfaces with locking collars.
Innovation Solution
A flexible cap for conical connectors featuring a dome-shaped protrusion for sealing within the fluid passageway and a ribbed exterior to engage internal threads, with an optional tether and pull tab for secure attachment and easy removal, constructed from materials like polyurethane or silicone, providing a robust seal and simplified user experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a twist cap is used to seal the connector, then the sealing function is provided, but the device complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring the user to actively twist the cap onto the connector (traditional approach), the cap is designed to be pushed onto the connector and then automatically locks in place through its flexible material deforming over the conical surface. The sealing action is inverted from an active twisting motion to a passive push-and-lock mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap is constructed from flexible material that can deform elastically to conform to the conical sealing surface of the connector. This flexibility allows the cap to snap onto the connector without twisting and maintain a secure seal through friction engagement, simplifying the user operation while ensuring reliable sealing.
2Reliability
If a tether is added to prevent cap dislodgement, then the reliability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tether function is merged with the cap body by integrating the tether attachment directly into the cap structure. The flexible material of the cap itself serves as both the sealing element and the tether anchor, eliminating the need for separate tether components and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining cap retention reliability.
3Ease of operation
If a push cap design is used to simplify operation, then the ease of operation improves, but the sealing reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cap utilizes flexible material that deforms elastically when pushed onto the connector. This flexibility allows the cap to conform precisely to the conical sealing surface, ensuring effective sealing while maintaining the simple push-on operation. The flexible shell design enables both ease of operation and sealing reliability simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap incorporates a conical shape that matches the connector's conical sealing surface. This curved geometry, combined with the flexible material, allows the cap to deform and seal effectively against the conical surface during the push-on action, ensuring reliable sealing without complex mechanisms.
4Reliability
If a rigid cap structure is used to provide strong sealing, then the sealing function improves, but the ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is manufactured as a single piece of flexible material that can be molded in various shapes including conical forms. This flexible shell design is simpler to manufacture than rigid sealed structures, as it requires no internal sealing mechanisms or complex assembly, while still providing robust sealing through its ability to conform to the connector surface.
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 flexible cap effectively seals against fluid and gas leakage, reduces user effort and complexity, and resists unintentional dislodgement, while being cost-effective and easy to manufacture, enhancing the usability of medical fittings.
Implementation Method 1
The protrusion has a hollow cross-section which extends from the top surface of the cap component so as to define an open recess on the top surface of the cap component. As such, the recess is open to the atmosphere such that it can deform in response to pressure from the fluid passageway so as to frictionally engage the walls thereof.
Implementation Method 2
the recess is open to the atmosphere such that it can deform in response to pressure from the fluid passageway so as to frictionally engage the walls thereof
Implementation Method 3
The cylindrical wall defines a hollow interior configured to receive an internal tapered sealing wall of a male connector of the medical fitting so as to form a first seal with the tapered sealing wall
Implementation Method 4
the cylindrical wall of the flexible cap may include at least one rib on an exterior surface thereof. As such, the rib(s) of the flexible cap may be configured to engage the internal threads of the male connector
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to a flexible cap for a medical fitting, such as a luer-lock fitting. The flexible cap includes a cap component defining a top surface, a cylindrical wall extending opposite from the top surface of the cap component, and an inner sealing surface. The cylindrical wall defines a hollow interior configured to receive an internal tapered sealing wall of a male connector of the medical fitting so as to form a seal with an outer surface of the tapered sealing wall. Further, the inner sealing surface of the flexible cap is configured within the hollow interior. Thus, when the tapered sealing wall of the male connector of the medical fitting is received within the hollow interior of the cylindrical wall, the inner sealing surface of the flexible cap seals the fluid passageway of the tapered sealing wall.