Modular Medical Device Coupling for Reusable Handles and Disposable Parts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical devices face challenges in balancing cost-effectiveness with minimizing cross-contamination between patients, as reusable devices risk infection from imperfect sterilization and disposable devices increase costs.
Innovation Solution
A modular medical device design featuring reusable handles and disposable portions that can be selectively assembled and disassembled, ensuring the reusable components remain external to the treatment site to minimize contamination, while allowing for single-use disposable parts to be discarded after each procedure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If reusable medical devices are used across multiple patients, then cost-effectiveness is improved, but cross-contamination risk increases due to imperfect sterilization
Solution Approach 1:
The medical device is divided into modular components that can be selectively reused or disposed of. The reusable handle contains non-critical components while the disposable portion contains elements that contact the treatment site, allowing cost-effective reuse of durable parts while ensuring hygiene through single-use replacement of contaminated parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The critical components that contact the treatment site are extracted into a separate disposable module. This allows the reusable handle to be kept clean and sterile while the disposable portion is discarded after a single use, eliminating cross-contamination risk without requiring complete device disposal.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If disposable medical devices are used for each patient, then cross-contamination is minimized, but costs increase due to single-use requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into disposable and reusable portions, allowing only the necessary single-use components to be discarded while retaining valuable expensive components for reuse, thereby reducing overall costs while maintaining cross-contamination prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the device have different quality requirements - only the portions contacting the treatment site require single-use disposal for hygiene, while other portions can be reused. This localized approach to disposability optimizes cost by eliminating unnecessary waste of durable components.
3Ease of manufacture
If modular components are designed for selective assembly and disassembly, then contamination risk is reduced and cost-effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connector mechanisms for multiple components (actuation wires, fluidics, electrical connections) are merged into a single integrated coupling interface. This allows all modular components to be assembled and disassembled through one unified action, reducing operational complexity while maintaining the benefits of selective reuse and contamination prevention.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If connectors are designed to deform upon disengagement to prevent reattachment, then cross-contamination is prevented, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connector material properties are changed to provide controlled deformability - the connectors are made from materials with specific elastic limits that allow them to deform predictably upon disengagement. This parameter change enables reliable prevention of reattachment while maintaining manufacturability through standard material selection and design tolerances.
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
This approach reduces the risk of cross-contamination and minimizes material waste by enabling the reuse of reusable components while ensuring safe disposal of disposable parts, thus providing a cost-effective and hygienic solution for medical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
the first connector is configured to deform the second connector in response to the first body disengaging the second body
Implementation Method 2
The second connector includes a housing having a ball bearing that is movable within the housing between a locked position and an unlocked position
Implementation Method 3
The first body includes a distal end having a first asymmetric profile, and the second body includes a proximal end having a second asymmetric profile corresponding to the first asymmetric profile
Data Source
AI summary
A medical device that includes a first body including a first actuation wire having a first connector that extends outwardly from the first body, and a second body including a second actuation wire having a second connector that is disposed within the second body. The first connector is configured to engage the second connector in response to the second body mating with the first body, and to deform the second connector in response to the first body disengaging the second body.