Layered Sterile Workspace Assembly for Anesthesia Stations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for sanitizing medical work surfaces, such as those on anesthesia machines, are prone to human error and fail to consistently maintain sterility, leading to a high risk of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and significant financial and human costs.
Innovation Solution
A layered sterile workspace assembly with a foam layer, tray, and removable barrier layer, where each layer remains independently sterilized until needed, allowing for easy exposure and disposal of contaminated surfaces while maintaining sterility of subsequent layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual disinfection methods (wipes, bleach, UV light) are used on work surfaces, then the work surfaces can be sanitized between procedures, but human error causes inconsistent cleaning and high risk of hospital-acquired infections
Solution Approach 1:
The work surface is divided into multiple independent disposable layers, each providing a separate sterile barrier. This segmentation ensures that contamination of one layer does not affect other layers, and each layer can be independently disposed of, eliminating the reliability issues associated with manual re-cleaning of the same surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses disposable sterile barrier layers that are discarded after a single use rather than repeatedly cleaning and reusing the same surface. This disposable approach eliminates human error in cleaning protocols while maintaining consistent sterility, as each new layer provides a guaranteed sterile barrier without requiring manual disinfection.
2Productivity
If a single work surface is reused and manually disinfected between procedures, then resource utilization is improved, but the sterility cannot be consistently maintained leading to cross-contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The work surface is segmented into multiple disposable layers stacked together. This allows continuous utilization of the work surface assembly while each individual layer provides a complete sterile barrier. When one layer is contaminated, the next layer remains intact and sterile, maintaining both productivity and reliability simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple sterile layers are pre-assembled in the workspace before procedures begin. This preliminary preparation ensures that sterile surfaces are immediately available without requiring manual disinfection between procedures, maintaining both sterility reliability and workflow productivity.
3Reliability
If disposable sterile barriers are used for each procedure, then sterility is maintained, but the cost and waste generation increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple disposable sterile layers are combined into a single integrated assembly that functions as one reusable work surface unit. This merging reduces the total number of separate disposable items needed while maintaining sterility, as the layers work together to provide continuous protective barriers throughout multiple procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple sterile layers are pre-assembled into a single workspace unit before use. This preliminary assembly reduces material waste by eliminating the need for separate packaging and disposal of multiple individual barrier layers, while maintaining the reliability of sterility through the layered configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention regards a sterile workspace with removable layers for use on medical surfaces such as anesthesia workstations, as well as other surfaces. The assembly of the present invention generally includes a plurality of sterile workspaces, layered to form the assembly. Each workspace has a foam layer and a barrier layer. In some configurations, the workspace also has a tray, and the foam layer is secured to the top surface of the tray. The tray may have a raised border about its perimeter. In some configurations the foam layer has a non-porous bottom surface. The assembly may have a support surface under the bottom-most workspace layer, with an elastomer or adhesive affixed thereto to prevent the assembly from moving during use. The barrier layer is affixed to either the foam layer, or the tray (if present), and is removed to expose a sterile workspace when in use.