Modular Medical Fluid Manifold Assembly With Disposable Paths

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing medical fluid management systems, particularly for dialysis and intravenous drug delivery, face challenges in reliability, safety, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use, with a need for modular and disposable components that reduce waste and simplify assembly and maintenance.

Innovation Solution

A modular fluid management assembly comprising a pump and valve engine, a pneumatic manifold, and a fluid manifold, where the pneumatic manifold is reusable and the fluid manifold is disposable, with flexible membranes to prevent fluid leaks, and a design that minimizes the need for tubing and allows for easy assembly and disassembly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a traditional integrated medical fluid management system is used, then system functionality is complete, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidsystem integration

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The medical fluid management system is divided into separate modular components: a disposable fluid manifold assembly containing fluid pathways and connectors, and a reusable pump and valve engine. This segmentation allows independent manufacturing and assembly of components, reducing overall system complexity and manufacturing cost while maintaining complete system functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If reusable components are used throughout the system, then manufacturing cost decreases, but reliability and safety decrease due to fluid contamination risk

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefluid safetyVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The fluid manifold assembly is designed as a disposable component that is discarded after a single use. This eliminates the risk of fluid contamination from reusable components, ensuring patient safety and reliability. The low cost of the disposable fluid manifold compared to the expensive pump and valve engine makes this economically viable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Ease of operation

If extensive tubing is used to connect components, then fluid flow pathways are complete, but device complexity and assembly difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly easeVSAvoidtubing configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The fluid pathways are integrated directly into the fluid manifold structure rather than using separate tubing connections. The fluid manifold contains molded-in channels that guide fluid flow between components, eliminating the need for extensive external tubing and simplifying both assembly and operation while maintaining complete fluid flow pathways.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20250303042A1Modular medical fluid management assemblies, machines and methods

Publication Date: 2025.10.02 BAXTER INT INC

AI summary

A medical fluid management assembly includes a pneumatic manifold, at least one valve, and a fluid manifold. The pneumatic manifold includes at least one pneumatic passageway that is pneumatically connected to the at least one valve. The fluid manifold includes at least one chamber comprising upper and lower fluid chambers separated by a flexible membrane. The fluid manifold also includes fluid tube sections and fluid pathways that fluidly couple the one or more upper and lower fluid chambers to the at least one valve and at least one of a purified water line, a liquid concentrate line, a to-extracorporeal circuit fresh dialysis fluid line, a drain line, or a from-extracorporeal circuit used dialysis fluid line.