Manual Pump for Blenderized Diet Delivery
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current enteral feeding devices face challenges in efficiently delivering blenderized or thick foods, requiring multiple syringe refills and lacking control over delivery rates, which is time-consuming and unsanitary.
Innovation Solution
A delivery pump with a reservoir capable of holding 100-500 milliliters, a removable pump head assembly, and a plunger that can be manually operated to control the delivery of blenderized diets through an enteral feeding device, using compressed air to push the content in a linear direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If standard syringes are used for delivery, then the device is simple and inexpensive, but the delivery process requires multiple refills (7-10 times per session) which is time-consuming and unsanitary
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into a reservoir component that can be filled once with the entire feeding session amount (100-500ml), and a pump head assembly that delivers the contents. This segmentation allows the bulk storage to be separate from the delivery mechanism, enabling single filling for the entire session rather than repeated syringe refills.
Solution Approach 2:
The reservoir is designed to be filled in advance with the complete feeding session amount before use. This preliminary filling action eliminates the need for repeated refilling during the feeding session, as the entire volume is prepared beforehand and delivered through the pump mechanism.
2Duration of action of moving object
If large animal syringes are used to avoid multiple refills, then the delivery duration is extended, but the filling process becomes difficult and requires funnels or other apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The device separates the storage function (reservoir) from the delivery function (pump head). The reservoir can be filled with standard syringes to the appropriate volume (100-500ml) and then attached to the pump head, which handles the actual delivery. This segmentation makes the filling process easier compared to using large animal syringes directly for delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump head assembly acts as an intermediary between the reservoir and the enteral feeding device. It receives the prepared feed from the reservoir and controls its delivery through the catheter, eliminating the need for the user to directly manipulate large syringes during the feeding session.
3Ease of operation
If standard syringes are used, then the device is simple, but the rate of delivery is difficult to control
Solution Approach 1:
The pump head assembly incorporates a plunger mechanism with visual indicators (such as graduation markings on the plunger or reservoir) that provide feedback to the user about the delivery progress and rate. This feedback mechanism enables the user to control and monitor the delivery rate precisely while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump head assembly uses a dynamic plunger mechanism that can be manually operated at controlled speeds. The plunger's movement within the reservoir allows the user to adjust the delivery rate dynamically, providing precise control over how fast the feed is administered while keeping the device operationally simple.
4Measurement precision
If a removable pump head assembly is added to improve delivery control, then the precision of delivery rate is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into two main segments: a simple reservoir component and a removable pump head assembly. This segmentation allows the complexity to be isolated in the pump head, which can be detached and cleaned separately, while the reservoir remains simple. The modular design manages complexity by containing it in a removable component rather than throughout the entire device.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump head assembly is designed to be removable and disposable or easily cleanable. After use, the pump head can be detached from the reservoir, allowing for thorough cleaning or replacement without complicating the overall device structure. This approach manages complexity by making the complex portion separable and recoverable through simple cleaning or replacement procedures.
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
Enables efficient, sanitary, and controlled delivery of blenderized meals in a single filling, reducing the need for multiple refills and improving the ease of use and precision of feeding.
Implementation Method 1
the compressed air pushes the plunger in the substantially linear direction toward the tip of the reservoir
Data Source
AI summary
Delivery pumps for providing a bolus or blenderized diet to enterally fed mammals are provided. A delivery pump according to the present disclosure is manually operated, and does not require mechanically powered operation. A delivery pump according to the present disclosure also has a size sufficient to contain an entire bolus or blenderized diet feeding, and is shaped to allow filling of the reservoir with a bolus or blenderized diet by a user. The present disclosure also includes a method of providing a bolus or blenderized diet to a mammal.