IV Line Spool Restraint for Strain Relief and Catheter Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
IV lines in intravenous administration sets are prone to snagging or pulling during everyday activities, leading to potential patient injury, treatment disruption, and infusion complications.
Innovation Solution
The development of IV strain relief devices, including a housing with a spool and cover, a spring-loaded mechanism, and a track device, which absorb and manage strain on the IV line, preventing it from being transferred to the patient and allowing easy handling without disrupting treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If IV line is left loose and exposed, then ease of operation is improved, but safety deteriorates due to snagging and pulling risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary device (strain relief device) between the IV line and the patient. This device includes a housing with a spool that winds the IV line, creating a buffer zone that prevents direct transmission of pulling forces to the patient while still allowing controlled access to the IV line when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The IV line is divided into segments: a portion that is wound around the spool inside the housing and a portion that extends outward. This segmentation allows the wound portion to absorb strain while the extended portion remains accessible for administration, resolving the contradiction between safety and ease of operation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If IV line is secured tightly to prevent snags, then safety is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to restricted access and handling
Solution Approach 1:
The strain relief device acts as an intermediary that secures the IV line in a controlled manner. The spool mechanism winds the line securely to prevent snags, while the housing design includes openings and accessible portions that maintain ease of operation for administration purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The device provides dynamic security through the spool mechanism that can wind and unwind the IV line as needed. This dynamic capability allows the system to transition between a secured state (preventing snags) and an accessible state (allowing handling), resolving the contradiction between safety and ease of operation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If strain relief device is added to manage IV line, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The strain relief device is segmented into distinct functional components: a housing, a spool for winding the IV line, and a cover. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while keeping the overall design relatively simple and manageable, reducing the complexity burden despite adding strain relief functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is designed to be self-contained and reusable. The spool mechanism can be manually operated to wind and unwind the IV line without requiring external power sources or complex control systems. This self-service capability simplifies the device structure while maintaining effective strain relief functionality.
4Device complexity
If IV line is stored in compact manner, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to potential line damage from winding
Solution Approach 1:
The spool is designed with specific local qualities: its diameter, surface texture, and material properties are optimized to handle the IV line gently. The spool's predetermined diameter and surface characteristics allow the line to be wound and unwound without creating sharp bends or excessive friction that could damage the line, maintaining reliability while keeping the storage mechanism simple.
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
These devices effectively reduce the risk of snags and pulls on IV lines, ensuring patient safety and uninterrupted treatment by managing excess line segments and absorbing strain, while being reusable and cost-effective.
Implementation Method 1
The spring mechanism includes a spring element, a shaft, and an actuation element. The shaft is configured to rotate about an axis when a spring force is applied to or removed from the spring element.
Data Source
AI summary
An IV line storage device includes a housing and a cover. The housing includes an IV line inlet, a spool, and an IV line outlet. The spool is configured to receive an IV line such that a first segment of an IV line is wound around the spool. The spool has a predetermined diameter such that the spool and the housing define a gap with a predetermined width for receiving and storing the first segment of the IV line, and a predetermined height to accommodate the first segment of the IV line being wound around the spool a predetermined number of revolutions. The cover encloses the first segment of the IV line within the housing. The IV line storage device is configured to transfer strain incurred at a second segment of the IV line, outside of the housing, to the first segment of the IV line within the housing.