Medical Fluid Connector Assembly With Auto-Sealing Decoupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unintended dislodgement or disconnection of medical fluid connectors, such as IV lines, can lead to patient injury, infection, and medical delivery delays due to blood loss and fluid loss.
Innovation Solution
A fluid connector assembly with medical connectors that include compressible members, which automatically decouple and seal off fluid paths when an external force is applied, using bellows or other elastically compressible members that return to their original shape when the force is removed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If medical connectors are designed to be easily detachable for patient removal, then ease of operation is improved, but unintended dislodgement risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The compressible member is pre-configured in a compressed state during normal operation, holding the connectors together. When an external force is applied (either intentional removal or unintended dislodgement), the compressible member automatically decompresses and seals the fluid path, preventing harmful effects. This preliminary action ensures that the sealing mechanism is ready before any disconnection event occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of unintended dislodgement into a beneficial automatic sealing action. When external force causes connector separation, the compressible member responds by decompressing and sealing the fluid path, turning the dislodgement event itself into the trigger for protective sealing that prevents blood loss and fluid leakage.
2Reliability
If compressible members are added to enable automatic sealing upon disconnection, then patient safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The compressible member is designed to automatically respond to external forces without requiring external control systems, sensors, or power sources. When force is applied to separate the connectors, the compressible member self-actuates through elastic deformation to seal the fluid path, providing a passive, self-service safety mechanism that minimizes added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The compressible member utilizes changes in its physical state (compressed vs. decompressed) in response to external force parameters. This parameter-based response allows the sealing function to be achieved through material physics rather than complex mechanical or electronic control systems, thereby improving safety while limiting complexity increases.
3Productivity
If the compressible member remains compressed during connection, then fluid flow is maintained, but sealing capability upon disconnection is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The compressible member dynamically transitions between two states: compressed during normal connection to maintain fluid flow, and decompressed upon external force application to provide sealing. This dynamic adaptability allows the system to optimize for fluid delivery during operation while ensuring sealing capability is activated precisely when disconnection occurs, resolving the contradiction between maintaining productivity and ensuring reliability.
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 solution effectively limits or prevents patient blood loss, IV fluid loss, infection, and medical delivery delays by ensuring automatic sealing of fluid paths upon decoupling.
Implementation Method 1
a compressible member surrounding the post... responsive to an external force displacing the compressible member, the compressible member uncovers the opening, and when the external force is removed, the compressible member seals the opening
Data Source
AI summary
Fluid connector assemblies that seal off fluid paths in the respective connectors are disclosed. When connectors of a fluid connector assembly are connected to each other, respective compressible members in the connectors are displaced, allowing downstream fluid passage through the fluid connector assembly. The connectors maintain a connection by a snap mechanism that provides a threshold retention force. When an external force greater than the threshold force is applied to the fluid connector assembly, the snap mechanism may no longer maintain the connectors together, causing the connectors to decouple from each other. However, each of the compressible members can return to their respective original positions and shapes to seal off respective fluid paths in the connectors, thus preventing further downstream and upstream flow through the fluid connector assembly and limiting or preventing fluid loss.