IV Fluid Bag Collar for Air Embolism Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
The use of pressure infusion cuffs on IV fluid bags can force air from the bag into the patient's veins, leading to potentially fatal air embolisms, as the cuffs compress the bag beyond the body's natural back pressure, exceeding central venous pressure and pushing air into the tubing.
Innovation Solution
Collars are designed to inhibit the compression of IV fluid bags by pressure infusion cuffs, creating a channel or pocket that traps air and prevents it from being expressed into the tubing, using various configurations such as hinged arms, tubular designs, and sealing edges to maintain air within the bag.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a pressure infusion cuff is used to compress the IV fluid bag to increase fluid delivery rate, then the fluid delivery rate is improved, but air is forced into the tubing and patient veins causing air embolism risk
Solution Approach 1:
The collar divides the IV fluid bag into two separate compartments: an upper air pocket and a lower fluid reservoir. This segmentation prevents air from being forced into the tubing during cuff compression while allowing fluid to continue draining at an increased rate through the same catheter.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar acts as an intermediary barrier between the air pocket and the fluid flow path. It allows the pressure infusion cuff to compress the fluid portion of the bag to increase delivery rate while the collar's structure prevents air from being pushed into the catheter, thus mediating between the need for high flow rate and air embolism prevention.
2Quantity of substance
If the pressure infusion cuff compresses the entire fluid bag to maximize fluid evacuation, then complete fluid delivery is achieved, but air is expressed from the bag into the tubing
Solution Approach 1:
The collar is pre-installed on the IV fluid bag before use, creating a permanent air pocket compartment at the top of the bag. This preliminary action ensures that as fluid is evacuated during infusion, air naturally collects in the pre-defined upper compartment rather than mixing with the fluid flow path, preventing air from being forced into the tubing during cuff compression.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar creates a localized air pocket with different properties than the fluid reservoir. The air compartment is designed to be compressible and isolated, allowing the rest of the bag to be fully compressed by the cuff for complete fluid evacuation while the air pocket remains contained and does not enter the tubing.
3Reliability
If a collar is added to the IV fluid bag to prevent air compression, then air embolism risk is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The collar is constructed from flexible, thin-walled material that can be easily molded into the required shape. This allows the collar to conform to the IV fluid bag's contours while maintaining its air-pocket-containing function. The flexibility enables the collar to be compressed along with the bag during cuff inflation while still preventing air from entering the tubing, thus achieving high reliability with minimal structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar is designed to fit snugly around the IV fluid bag, with the air pocket nested within the collar's internal volume. This nested configuration allows the simple collar structure to provide complex air-management functionality without adding significant device complexity, as the collar essentially wraps around and contains the air pocket within the existing bag-collar assembly.
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
The collars effectively reduce the risk of air embolisms by preventing air from being forced into the patient's veins, allowing fluid to drain under gravity while maintaining air within the bag, even when the cuff compresses the bag, thus ensuring safe infusion.
Implementation Method 1
creating a channel or pocket that traps air and prevents it from being expressed into the tubing
Implementation Method 2
The fluid bag is typically elevated above the patient so that gravity can aid in moving the fluid through a drip chamber and into the line and catheter
Data Source
AI summary
The problem of infusing air into IV tubing and into a patient from a IV fluid bag inside a pressure infusion cuff is solved by collar embodiments that inhibit the air from being forced into the IV tubing. A collar can include one or more curved arms that create a channel in which that part of the fluid bag is protected against being squeezed by a pressure infusion cuff. A collar allows the fluid bag to be squeezed by the pressure infusion cuff until such time that the fluid level is sufficiently reduced that the collar can inhibit further pressure on the fluid bag by the pressure infusion cuff. Also disclosed is a fluid bag and a pressure infusion cuff that are modified to have a collar incorporated therewith.