High-Flow Manifold Filtration for Secure Medical Waste Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical waste fluid collection systems face challenges with secure filtration and flow performance, particularly in high-volume procedures, without incurring additional costs.
Innovation Solution
A manifold system is developed with a filter fused to the vacuum port using a rotational symmetric polymer interface, enhancing security and flow performance through spin welding, allowing for easy recycling and reuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a filter is added to the vacuum port to increase safety, then contamination prevention is improved, but flow performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a porous filter material that allows fluid to pass through while trapping contaminants. The porous structure provides sufficient filtration capability to prevent contamination of the vacuum system while maintaining adequate flow rates for high-volume medical waste procedures, thus resolving the contradiction between contamination prevention and flow performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter is strategically positioned at the vacuum port where it provides localized contamination prevention without restricting the overall flow path. This local placement ensures that filtration occurs only where necessary, preventing system contamination while minimizing impact on overall flow performance.
2Ease of repair
If a removable filter is used to enable recycling, then ease of repair is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential filter dislodgement
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is pre-attached to the manifold in a secured position before use, ensuring it cannot become dislodged during operation. This preliminary securing action maintains reliability during high-volume procedures while still allowing for filter removal and replacement when needed, thus balancing filter security with ease of maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter is designed as a separate, modular component that can be independently removed and replaced. This segmentation allows for easy filter replacement and recycling of the manifold while maintaining secure attachment during operation through proper mounting features.
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 system provides secure filtration and improved flow rates while maintaining cost-effectiveness by enabling easy filter replacement and recycling, thus addressing the challenges of high-volume medical waste disposal.
Implementation Method 1
rotating the one of the filter and the manifold relative to the other to fuse the filter and the manifold along a fused interface
Data Source
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AI summary
Implementations described herein include a system for guiding medical waste fluid into a medical waste collection canister. The system includes a manifold and a filter. The manifold includes a top surface and a sidewall extending from the top surface in a first direction that, together, define an interior chamber. The top surface includes an inlet port and a vacuum port. The inlet port connects to a source of medical waste fluid and the vacuum port connects to a vacuum source. A filter is positioned within the interior chamber of the manifold immediately upstream of the vacuum port so as to filter air flowing into the vacuum port. The filter extends away from the top surface of the manifold in the first direction. The filter is fused to a surface of the interior chamber or to a peripheral surface of the vacuum port to form a fused interface.