Infusion Pump Door Alignment Mechanism for IV Tube Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing infusion pumps often misalign IV tubes during loading, leading to potential obstruction of medication flow, which can result in leaks and pose risks to patients.
Innovation Solution
The infusion pump incorporates guides, interlocking ribs or plates, retention knobs, and rails to ensure proper alignment and retention of the IV tube within a defined channel, preventing door closure if the tube is misaligned.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a door mechanism is used to secure the IV tube for contact with actuators, then the IV tube can be retained in position, but the IV tube may become misaligned, crimped, folded, or compressed during door closure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing pre-alignment guides and positioning features on the door that guide the IV tube into the correct position before the door closes. The guides create a predetermined path that ensures proper alignment, preventing misalignment, crimping, folding, or compression during the closing operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary mechanism in the form of alignment guides and positioning features that mediate between the door closure action and the IV tube. These guides act as intermediaries that transfer the closing motion while maintaining proper tube alignment, preventing direct harmful contact between the door and the tube.
2Reliability
If the door is closed to enclose the actuation area, then the IV tube can be secured for operation, but misalignment may cause medication to leak into the pumping mechanism and electronics
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment guides and positioning features perform preliminary alignment of the IV tube before door closure, ensuring the tube is properly positioned and secured. This preliminary action prevents misalignment that could lead to medication leakage into the pumping mechanism and electronics during operation.
3Device complexity
If conventional IV tubes are used without specialized integrated components, then device complexity is reduced, but IV tube alignment and retention during door closure becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing alignment guides and positioning features that work with conventional IV tubes without requiring specialized integrated components. The door structure itself provides multiple functions: enclosure, actuation, and alignment guidance, eliminating the need for separate specialized tube-carrying cassettes or over-molds while maintaining alignment precision.
Data Source
AI summary
Infusion pump alignment features for vertically-oriented IV tubes are disclosed. In an example, an infusion pump housing includes a tube channel having a radial curvature for bending an IV tube from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation when the infusion pump is positioned for operation. The housing also includes a hood having a first side and a second side that are divided by the tube channel. The infusion pump has a door that is connected to the housing for enclosing the tube channel and the hood. The door includes a cavity having dimensions to receive the hood when the door is in a closed position. The hood is configured to engage the cavity to prevent the door from closing if the IV tube is not positioned along the tube channel.