Internally Sealable Wire for Autoclavable Surgical Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sealing methods for electrical wires in autoclavable surgical devices are inadequate as they allow gases, liquids, and vacuum to pass through the spaces between stranded wire strands, and bulkhead connectors are impractical for power and signal access due to space limitations.
Innovation Solution
Internally sealable wires with an elongate flexible body and electrically conductive strands within an insulation jacket, featuring unsealed and sealed portions where internal spaces are filled with a filler material to prevent fluid passage, potentially eliminating the need for bulkhead connectors and allowing for tighter packaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a stranded electrical wire is passed through a grommet in a bulkhead connector, then electrical power and signals can be transmitted, but the spaces between individual strands allow gases, liquids, and vacuum to pass through the seal
Solution Approach 1:
The wire is divided into multiple electrically conductive strands that are individually insulated, allowing each strand to be sealed separately within the insulation jacket. This segmentation enables the seal to effectively prevent fluid passage while maintaining electrical conductivity through the stranded structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrically conductive strands are nested within the insulation jacket, creating a hierarchical structure where the jacket contains the strands and their individual insulation layers. This nested configuration allows the outer insulation jacket to seal around the entire assembly while the inner strand insulation prevents fluid penetration between strands.
2Reliability
If bulkhead connectors are used to provide power and signal access with sealing, then sealing is achieved, but space limitations make them impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function traditionally provided by the bulkhead connector and grommet assembly is merged into the wire structure itself through the continuous insulation jacket. This integration eliminates the need for separate bulkhead connector components, reducing overall device volume while maintaining sealing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulation jacket serves multiple functions: it provides electrical insulation between strands, provides mechanical protection to the conductors, and provides the sealing barrier against fluids. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate sealing components, reducing device complexity and size.
3Reliability
If the insulation jacket material is displaced into internal spaces to create a seal, then a reliable seal is formed, but the flexibility of the wire may be reduced at the sealed portion
Solution Approach 1:
The wire structure is made non-uniform by creating a localized sealed portion where the insulation jacket material is displaced into internal spaces. This local modification provides sealing integrity only where needed, while the remainder of the wire maintains its original flexible stranded construction for optimal flexibility and electrical performance.
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
Prevents fluid passage through the wires, enabling a tighter and more reliable seal, potentially reducing device size and improving packaging efficiency while maintaining electrical connectivity.
Implementation Method 1
The filler material disposed within the internal spaces of the sealed portion is displaced material of the insulation jacket
Data Source
AI summary
An internally sealable wire includes an elongate flexible body having a length and a plurality of electrically conductive strands disposed within an insulation jacket. The body includes an unsealed portion extending along a majority of the length of the body and at least one sealed portion positioned at a point along the length of the body. The unsealed portion includes open internal spaces defined between the strands and the insulation jacket, and the at least one sealed portion includes a filler material disposed within the internal spaces to effect a seal within the body and prevent the passage of fluid through the wire.