Pivotal Flow Stop with Protective Collar for Medical Pump Cassette
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical pumps experience unintended, unrestricted fluid flow due to mis-loading or premature removal of fluid delivery cassettes, which can lead to improper fluid delivery to patients.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a fluid delivery device with a pivotally mounted flow stop and additional features such as a groove, orientation and blocking collar, and flange to prevent the flow stop from inadvertently opening during installation and removal, ensuring the cassette is not pulled from the pump until the loader is fully open, thus preventing free flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a normally closed flow stop is used in the cassette to prevent free flow, then fluid safety is improved, but the flow stop can inadvertently open during mis-loading or premature removal causing uncontrolled fluid flow
Solution Approach 1:
A protective member is introduced as an intermediary element between the flow stop and the pump components. This protective member acts as a mediator that prevents direct contact between the flow stop and pump components during loading and unloading operations, thereby eliminating the harmful effect of inadvertent flow stop opening while maintaining the safety function.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective member is positioned in advance to cushion and protect the flow stop from potential harmful contacts. By having the protective member in place before loading or unloading operations begin, the system preemptively prevents the flow stop from being inadvertently opened, addressing the reliability issue before it can manifest.
2Ease of operation
If the flow stop is positioned to engage with pump components for control, then fluid flow control is improved, but the flow stop becomes vulnerable to inadvertent activation during cassette removal
Solution Approach 1:
The protective member serves as an intermediary that allows the flow stop to maintain its engagement with pump components for proper fluid flow control during operation, while simultaneously preventing inadvertent activation during removal. The protective member is positioned to interfere with removal attempts unless the loader door is fully open, thus maintaining operational reliability.
3Productivity
If the cassette can be quickly loaded and removed from the pump, then operational efficiency is improved, but the risk of mis-loading or premature removal causing free flow increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective member enables quick cassette changes by not interfering with proper loading and unloading operations. It only activates to prevent free flow when there is an attempt at mis-loading or premature removal, thus maintaining high productivity while eliminating the harmful effects of improper operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective member is designed to preemptively counteract potential harmful actions (mis-loading or premature removal) before they can cause free flow. By being in place during the entire loading and unloading process, it provides preliminary protection against operator errors while allowing efficient cassette changes when performed correctly.
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid delivery device such as a cassette removably disposed in a medical pump to control fluid flow in the medical pump. The fluid delivery device has an elongated main body including an inlet, an outlet, and a fluid passage extending from the inlet to the outlet. A flow stop is pivotally mounted to the main body for selectively allowing and stopping fluid flow from the fluid passage to the outlet. The fluid delivery device can have various features including the flow stop having grooved sections, a T-shaped collar on the main body inlet or a flange on the main body to prevent inadvertent engagement of the flow stop during removal of the fluid delivery device from the medical pump.