Flexible Skin Preparation Applicator for Aseptic Non-Touch Application
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current disinfectant wipes lead to accidental touching of the patient's skin by the user, resulting in contamination and increased infection rates due to improper aseptic technique during skin preparation for procedures.
Innovation Solution
A skin preparation device with a flexible applicator and holding member that allows aseptic non-touch application, using a foam or non-woven paper applicator connected to a blister packaging holding member, which can be gripped without direct contact with the patient's skin, ensuring the applicator remains sterile.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional disinfectant wipe is used, then the application process is simple, but the user's skin contacts the patient's skin causing contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into three distinct segments: a holding member for user grip, an applicator for antiseptic application, and a barrier layer separating them. This segmentation ensures that the user's fingers contact only the holding member while the applicator contacts the patient's skin, preventing skin-to-skin contamination while maintaining simple operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier layer acts as an intermediary between the holding member and the applicator. It physically separates the user's skin from the patient's skin, allowing the user to grip the device without contaminating the applicator or patient's skin, thus maintaining aseptic technique without complicating the operation.
2Reliability
If the applicator is made thick to prevent holding member contact with skin, then contamination is prevented, but the device becomes less flexible
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier layer has different thicknesses in different regions: it is thickest at the interface between the holding member and applicator to prevent contamination, and thinner toward the edges to allow flexibility. This local variation in thickness maintains both contamination prevention and device adaptability for different skin surfaces.
3Ease of operation
If the holding member is made flexible to be gripped, then ease of use improves, but the applicator may contact patient skin causing contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier layer serves as a permanent intermediary that maintains separation between the flexible holding member and the applicator. Even when the holding member is bent or flexed during gripping, the barrier layer ensures that the applicator does not contact the user's skin, maintaining aseptic conditions while allowing easy grip.
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 device reduces skin-to-skin contact, maintaining aseptic technique and preventing contamination, while being cost-effective for mass production and compliant with Aseptic Non Touch Technique (ANTT).
Implementation Method 1
an applicator configured to absorb the antiseptic composition
Data Source
AI summary
A skin preparation device for applying an antiseptic composition to a skin surface of a patient that may include an applicator configured to absorb the antiseptic composition, the applicator comprising an application surface and a holding surface, the application surface configured to apply the antiseptic composition to the skin surface of the patient; and a holding member configured to provide a portion of the skin preparation device that is gripped by a user when using the skin preparation device, the holding member including a first end and an opposing second end, the holding member being operatively connected to the holding surface of the applicator, wherein the holding member is made of a material that provides flexibility to allow the first end and the second end to be pulled into contact with one another to be gripped by a user of the skin preparation device.