Manual Bellows Pump for Portable Wound Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional reduced pressure treatment systems are not suitable for ambulatory patients as they require a hospital or monitored-care setting and are not portable, and there is a need for a manually-activated, portable pump for treating low-severity wounds effectively.
Innovation Solution
A manually-activated reduced pressure treatment system with a bellows pump that includes a flexible and compressible side wall, end caps, and a position indicating mechanism, which allows for variable inner chamber volume and audible, visual, or tactile feedback during compression, enabling the delivery of reduced pressure to a tissue site.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an electrically-powered reduced pressure pump is used, then reduced pressure treatment can be provided effectively, but the system becomes non-portable and requires hospital or monitored-care settings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the electrically-powered pump with a manually-operated mechanical pump. The manual pump uses a bellows mechanism that can be compressed by hand to generate reduced pressure, eliminating the need for electrical power sources and making the system portable for ambulatory patients while maintaining effective reduced pressure treatment capability
Solution Approach 2:
The manual pump enables the patient to operate the system themselves without requiring external power infrastructure or medical personnel intervention. The self-contained mechanical design allows ambulatory patients to provide their own reduced pressure treatment at home or in other non-hospital settings
2Reliability
If a conventional reduced pressure system is used, then treatment can be provided in hospital settings, but the patient must remain relatively still during treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The manual bellows pump design allows the patient to actively operate the device while moving. The mechanical compression mechanism can be operated with hand movements regardless of body position or activity level, enabling patients to maintain mobility during treatment rather than remaining stationary as required by conventional electric pump systems
3Adaptability or versatility
If a manually-activated pump is used, then portability is achieved, but the device complexity increases with manual activation mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows pump utilizes a flexible bellows element that naturally expands and contracts through simple compression. This flexible membrane mechanism provides an intuitive, low-complexity manual activation method that requires minimal training and has few moving parts, reducing overall device complexity despite the manual activation requirement
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 system allows for effective delivery and maintenance of reduced pressure at a tissue site, promoting tissue growth and healing, with pressures maintained for several hours, and can be easily reactivated as needed, making it suitable for ambulatory patients.
Implementation Method 1
manually compressing a flexible diaphragm to reduce a volume of a chamber fluidly connected to a tissue site
Implementation Method 2
A position indicating member is associated with the end cap and housing to indicate the position of the end cap relative to the housing at predetermined positions between the uncompressed position and the compressed position
Implementation Method 3
A one-way valve is disposed in one of the first end cap, the second end cap, and the side wall to allow fluid expulsion from the inner chamber
Implementation Method 4
A hydrophobic filter in communication with the one-way valve prevents liquids from exiting the inner chamber through the one-way valve
Implementation Method 5
an odor filter in communication with the one-way valve eliminates odors associated with gases expelled through the one-way valve
Data Source
AI summary
A manually-activated reduced pressure treatment system includes a substantially rigid housing, and an end cap slidingly received by the housing. An inner chamber is disposed between the end cap and housing, and a volume of the inner chamber is variable in amount depending on the position of the end cap within the housing. The end cap is slidingly movable between an uncompressed position at which the volume of the inner chamber is at a maximum value and a compressed position at which the volume of the inner chamber is at a minimum value. A position indicating member is associated with the end cap and housing to indicate the position of the end cap relative to the housing at predetermined positions between the uncompressed position and the compressed position.