Frangible Identifier Tags for Conduit Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
In healthcare and other settings, identifying and tracking numerous conduits such as IV tubes and electrical cables is challenging due to entanglement and obscuration, leading to potential errors and inefficiencies, with existing solutions like tape being unreliable and causing further entanglement.
Innovation Solution
A system of identifier tags with frangible portions and apertures, made from flexible materials, that can be easily attached and detached from conduits, featuring unique shapes and images for quick and accurate identification, and a method for correlating these tags at different locations along the conduit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tape with handwritten identifiers is applied to cables or tubing, then identification is provided, but the adhesive loses tackiness and tape falls off, and handwritten identifiers become illegible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable identifier tags with frangible portions that are intentionally designed to be temporary and replaceable. These tags are meant to be used for a specific duration and then discarded or replaced, avoiding the reliability issues of reusable adhesive tapes that lose effectiveness over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The identifier tag is divided into a main body and a frangible portion that can be easily separated. This segmentation allows the tag to be applied securely to the conduit and then the frangible portion to be broken off to reveal or attach identification elements, providing a reliable identification mechanism that doesn't depend on long-term adhesive performance.
2Loss of information
If tape is applied to identify conduits, then identification is provided, but adhesive leaves sticky residues causing cables or tubing to bunch and become more entangled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the identification function from adhesive-based tapes and implements it through mechanical identifier tags with frangible portions. This removes the harmful adhesive residue that causes entanglement while preserving the conduit identification capability through alternative means such as visual markers or attached identifiers on the tag structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If numerous conduits are used in close proximity, then comprehensive service capability is provided, but tracing and identifying individual conduits becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing unique identification characteristics at specific locations on each conduit. Each identifier tag has distinct visual features, colors, or markings at its frangible portion that allow individual conduits to be distinguished from one another, even when numerous conduits are bundled together or routed in close proximity.
4Reliability
If healthcare professionals manually track IV tubing paths, then correct nutrition or therapy can be verified, but significant time is required and errors may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The identifier tags with frangible portions are attached to conduits in advance, before the conduits are routed or before clinical use. This preliminary identification setup allows healthcare professionals to quickly verify conduit identities and paths without time-consuming manual tracing, reducing both time loss and potential for errors while maintaining therapy delivery accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
An identifier for a conduit includes a substrate having a pair of apertures. The substrate further contains a frangible portion encompassing one of the apertures and having a shape that corresponds to an opening left in the substrate after removal of the frangible portion. The identifier enables the shape of the frangible portion to be correlated with the shape of the opening left in the substrate after the frangible portion is separated from the substrate.