Elastomeric Isolator Sleeve Cuff Attachment with Plug
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current isolator sleeve systems are cumbersome and prone to contamination during glove changes, requiring frequent sterile glove changes, which are time-consuming and risk environmental breaches, especially when switching between users or handling different glove sizes.
Innovation Solution
An isolator sleeve system featuring a cuff attachment made of elastomeric material with a plug that allows for seamless sealing and easy glove changes without the need for resilient rings, enabling aseptic environment maintenance and efficient user access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If frequent sterile glove changes are performed using traditional isolator sleeve systems, then contamination risk is reduced, but time consumption and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The isolator sleeve is divided into multiple segments including a reusable sleeve body and disposable sleeve portions. This segmentation allows the disposable portion to be quickly replaced without affecting the entire sleeve system, enabling rapid glove changes while maintaining the sealed environment and preventing contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable sleeve portion is pre-assembled with the glove in a sterile state before use. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex assembly operations during glove changes, allowing users to simply replace the pre-prepared disposable portion rather than assembling components in the time-critical moment.
2Strength
If traditional sleeve cuff systems with resilient rings are used, then glove attachment is secure, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate during glove changes
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs a disposable sleeve portion that is discarded after a single use or single glove change cycle. This eliminates the need for complex resilient rings and attachment mechanisms, as the entire disposable portion including the glove is replaced as one unit, dramatically simplifying the glove change operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable sleeve portion integrates the glove, cuff, and sealing mechanisms into a single unified component. This merging eliminates the need for separate resilient rings and multiple attachment steps, allowing the entire assembly to be replaced in one simple action while maintaining secure attachment functionality.
3Reliability
If glove changes are performed inside the isolator workspace, then environmental breach risk is reduced, but operational difficulty increases due to single-handed manipulation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The disposable sleeve portion is designed to be self-contained with the glove already attached and sealed. The user simply removes the entire disposable portion as one unit and replaces it with a new pre-assembled unit, eliminating the need for complex single-handed manipulation of multiple components while maintaining the environmental seal.
Solution Approach 2:
All glove attachment and sealing operations are performed in advance during the manufacturing of the disposable sleeve portion. This preliminary preparation means that during glove changes inside the isolator, the user only needs to perform a simple replacement action rather than manipulating multiple components with one hand.
4Adaptability or versatility
If different sized outer gloves are required for different users, then adaptability is improved, but time loss and operational complexity increase due to additional glove changes
Solution Approach 1:
The reusable sleeve body is designed with universal compatibility to accommodate multiple disposable sleeve portions of different sizes. This allows different users with different hand sizes to use the same base sleeve system by simply swapping the disposable portion, eliminating the need for complete sleeve replacements and reducing user switching time.
Solution Approach 2:
The segmentation of the sleeve system into a reusable body and interchangeable disposable portions enables easy adaptation to different glove sizes. Each disposable portion can be manufactured in different sizes to match different users, and they can be quickly swapped on the reusable sleeve body without affecting the overall system or requiring additional assembly steps.
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
Facilitates faster and contamination-free glove changes within the isolator, reducing the risk of environmental breaches and minimizing downtime between users, while maintaining a sealed environment.
Implementation Method 1
an isolator sleeve system comprising a cuff attachment for use with an isolator sleeve cuff... an annular band of substantially elastomeric material... the first end having a diameter which is wider than a diameter of the second end
Data Source
AI summary
A cuff attachment for an isolator sleeve cuff, the cuff attachment comprising an annular band of substantially elastomeric material having an open first end and an open second end, the first end having a diameter which is wider than a diameter of the second end, the first end being adapted to be attachable to an isolator sleeve cuff, and the second end being adapted to releasably retain a plug therein. A plug for sealing the second end of the cuff attachment, the plug comprising a body sized and shaped to be releasably retained in the second end of the cuff attachment. An isolator sleeve system comprising the cuff attachment and the plug.