Microporous Gas Diffuser for Wound Filtration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gas diffuser devices for wound and surgical sites are inadequate in providing a convenient, inexpensive, and accurate delivery of therapeutic gases while maintaining a stable local atmosphere, and they fail to effectively filter and deliver gases to enhance healing and reduce bacterial infections.
Innovation Solution
A gas diffuser device featuring a flexible, hydrophobic, microporous polymer body with pores of 0.2 µm or less, combined with a nonporous or substantially nonporous polymer body, forms an interior chamber that filters bacteria and other impurities, ensuring the therapeutic gas, such as carbon dioxide, is effectively delivered to the treatment site, maintaining a stable gas atmosphere and reducing infection risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a gas diffuser device is used to deliver therapeutic gas to a wound or surgical site, then the local atmosphere is modified to reduce infections and enhance healing, but the device complexity increases due to the need for membrane filtration and gas delivery mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a microporous membrane with pore sizes of 0.2 μm or less to filter bacteria while allowing therapeutic gas to pass through. This porous material structure enables the device to maintain a sterile environment at the wound site without requiring complex filtration systems, as the membrane itself performs both filtration and gas delivery functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The device utilizes a composite structure combining a microporous membrane with a nonporous or substantially nonporous polymer body. This composite material approach allows the device to simultaneously achieve bacterial filtration through the microporous layer while maintaining structural integrity and gas containment through the nonporous layer, simplifying the overall device design.
2Reliability
If a microporous membrane with small pore size is used to filter bacteria, then bacterial filtration efficiency is improved, but the gas delivery accuracy may be compromised due to restricted gas flow
Solution Approach 1:
The microporous membrane is specifically designed with pore sizes of 0.2 μm or less to effectively filter bacteria while maintaining sufficient gas permeability. The membrane material and pore structure are optimized to allow therapeutic gas to pass through at controlled rates, ensuring both filtration efficiency and gas delivery accuracy without requiring additional complex flow control mechanisms.
3Reliability
If a nonporous polymer body is used to contain the therapeutic gas, then gas containment is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the need for both nonporous and microporous membrane integration
Solution Approach 1:
The device integrates a microporous membrane and a nonporous polymer body into a unified composite structure. The microporous membrane serves as the outer layer for bacterial filtration and gas exchange, while the nonporous polymer body provides internal gas containment and structural support. This composite design achieves both filtration and containment functions in a single integrated device without requiring complex assembly of separate components.
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 device efficiently filters bacteria and other microorganisms, enhances healing by creating a bacteriostatic environment, reduces the need for antibiotics, and maintains a stable therapeutic gas atmosphere, thereby minimizing infection risks and promoting faster wound recovery.
Implementation Method 1
a first membrane comprising a flexible, hydrophobic, microporous polymer body having a pore size of 0.2 μm or less
Implementation Method 2
a first membrane comprising a flexible, hydrophobic, microporous polymer body
Implementation Method 3
The flexible, hydrophobic, microporous polymer body of the first membrane of the device is arranged to diffuse the introduced gas into the treatment site
Implementation Method 4
Carbon dioxide is a desirable therapeutic gas that has a bacteriostatic function, reducing the growth of bacteria and/or other microorganisms
Implementation Method 5
it is possible to ensure that the surrounding air is prevented from reaching the volume even if a part of the supplied gas leaves the area
Data Source
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AI summary
Devices and methods for delivering and filtering a gas to a wound site to enhance healing, reduce the potential for bacterial infections, lessen the need for antibiotics and to create a protective and therapeutic gas atmosphere along a treatment site. More particularly, the invention relates to a device arranged to deliver a gas to a treatment site, the device being connectable to a gas source, the device including (i) a first membrane comprising a flexible, microporous polymer body and (ii) a second membrane comprising a flexible nonporous polymer body. Outer edge portions of the second membrane are bonded to outer edge portions of the first membrane to form an interior chamber of the device, the interior chamber of the device confining introduced gas to the interior chamber such that the introduced gas flows out through the pores of the first membrane and is diffused along the treatment site.