Infusion Pump Slide Clamp for Occlusion Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing infusion pumps face challenges in preventing free flow of medicinal fluid into patients when the delivery tube is removed, due to reliance on manual external clamps and potential human error, leading to increased complexity and risk of mechanical failure.
Innovation Solution
A slide clamp is used as an external manual activator to release the internal occlusion clamp and simultaneously occlude the delivery tube, preventing free flow by moving the tube into a slot within the clamp, thereby ensuring anti-free flow functionality without increasing the complexity of the infusion pump.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an internal occlusion clamp is used to prevent free flow when the door is open, then safety is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional moving parts
Solution Approach 1:
A release member acts as an intermediary between the door and the internal occlusion clamp. When the door opens, it moves the release member which in turn moves the internal occlusion clamp to a non-occluding position. This intermediary mechanism allows automatic operation while maintaining safety, resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If the internal occlusion clamp is released to allow tube removal, then ease of operation is improved, but free flow of fluid may occur reducing safety
Solution Approach 1:
Before the door can be opened, the release member must be in a specific position that allows the internal occlusion clamp to be in a non-occluding state. This preliminary positioning ensures that when tube removal is needed, the system is already prepared to allow it safely. The door's movement itself performs the preliminary action of positioning the release member, simplifying the overall operation while maintaining safety.
3Reliability
If manual external clamps are used to prevent free flow, then safety is improved, but the ease of operation decreases due to additional manual steps required
Solution Approach 1:
The door itself serves the dual function of both accessing the tubing chamber and operating the internal occlusion clamp. When the door opens, it automatically moves the release member which in turn operates the internal occlusion clamp. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for separate manual clamp operations, improving ease of operation while maintaining safety through automatic operation.
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
This solution reduces the number of moving parts, lowers costs, simplifies operation, enhances safety by requiring intentional manual action, and allows less-trained personnel to safely operate the infusion pump, effectively preventing unintended fluid delivery.
Implementation Method 1
The flexible delivery tube is compressed or pinched at two spaced-apart locations to capture a predetermined volume of fluid in the tube between the pinch points. The pinched locations are mechanically advanced at a predetermined timed rate. This wave-like movement repeats and creates a very precise flow of fluid over time.
Implementation Method 2
To prevent the fluid from free-flowing when the door is open, infusion pumps typically include an internal occlusion clamp which pinches the delivery tube to occlude the delivery tube.
Implementation Method 3
The bag is suspended above the patient so that the force of gravity acting on the fluid causes the fluid to flow through the delivery tube.
Data Source
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AI summary
An infusion pump for metering fluid flow through an delivery tube of an infusion tubing set has an internal occlusion clamp which clamps the delivery tube to prevent the free flow of fluid through the tube when access to the delivery tube in the infusion pump is possible. To release the delivery tube from the infusion pump, a slide clamp is manually used to release the occlusion clamp to an open, non-occluding position while simultaneously occluding the delivery tube to prevent the free flow of fluid.