Patient Hydration Bladder With Guarded Mouthpiece for Safe Self-Drinking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients with reduced motor function or mobility face challenges in hydration due to difficulties in drinking from standard containers, leading to increased caregiver burden and inaccurate fluid intake monitoring, with existing alternatives like IV administration or backpack-style canteens being unsafe or ineffective in medical settings.
Innovation Solution
A patient hydration system comprising a liquid holding bladder, flexible tube, safety guard, and mouthpiece, with optional components like a retention member, secondary port, keeper clip, and shutoff valve, allowing patients to control liquid intake through suction, biting, or manual activation, reducing caregiver assistance and spillage risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If standard pitcher/cup method is used for liquid intake, then patients with reduced motor function cannot independently drink, but caregiver burden increases and fluid intake monitoring becomes inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The patient hydration system enables self-service by allowing patients to independently control liquid flow through suction or bite-activated valves. The portable bladder design with flexible tubing and mouthpiece allows patients to drink without caregiver assistance, directly resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If intravenous administration is used for liquid delivery, then patients with limited mobility can receive fluids, but safety complications and procedural problems arise
Solution Approach 1:
The portable hydration system acts as an intermediary between standard safe oral intake and intravenous administration. It provides a middle-ground solution that delivers liquids to immobile patients through a safe, controllable oral route using a portable bladder and flexible tubing system, avoiding the safety complications of IV administration while still serving patients who cannot move to a standard cup.
3Ease of operation
If backpack-style canteens with hoses and bite-valves are used, then patients can access liquids independently, but the devices are unsafe for medical environments and lack necessary features
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the basic canteen design by changing key parameters: using a portable bladder instead of rigid container, adding flexible tubing with controlled length, incorporating medical-grade materials, and integrating controllable valve mechanisms. These parameter changes maintain independent access while ensuring safety and appropriateness for medical environments.
4Measurement precision
If manual monitoring of fluid intake is performed, then caregivers can track consumption, but spillage occurs and measurement accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the manual mechanical monitoring method (pitcher/cup measurement) with a controlled delivery system featuring integrated measurement capabilities. The flexible tubing with controlled flow and controllable valves prevents spillage, while the system can track and measure actual fluid consumption more accurately by controlling delivery directly to the patient.
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
Enables patients with limited mobility to hydrate independently, reducing caregiver burden, improving fluid intake accuracy, and minimizing spillage and contamination risks while maintaining safety in a medical environment.
Implementation Method 1
The contents of the bladder flow through the tube and out of the mouthpiece on demand
Implementation Method 2
the patient can apply suction with his or her mouth to the mouthpiece causing a pressure valve to open
Implementation Method 3
the patient can bite the mouthpiece and cause a bite valve to open
Data Source
AI summary
A patient hydration system comprises a bladder, a flexible tube, a safety guard, and a mouthpiece. The bladder can be a generally rectangular-shaped pouch designed to hold liquids. The bladder can have an attachment means whereby a retention member can be used to hang the bladder. The bladder has a port that allows the attachment of the flexible tube. The tube is also connected to the safety guard and mouthpiece. The contents of the bladder flow through the tube and out of the mouthpiece on demand. A keeper clip can be added in proximity to the mouthpiece. The safety guard provides a substantial handle for grasping and maneuvering the system, ensures that the mouthpiece is not inadvertently swallowed by the patient, and protects the mouthpiece from surface contamination if the mouthpiece is placed on a table, plate, etc.