Modular Medical Device End Cap for Infection Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical systems and devices face challenges in preventing cross-contamination between patients during reuse, leading to potential infections and increased costs due to the need for extensive sterilization and the use of disposable components.
Innovation Solution
A modular medical system comprising a reusable end cap with a modular camera assembly and a disposable medical device, where the end cap can be easily cleaned and reused by uncoupling it from the device, reducing the risk of contamination and minimizing costs through the separation of components for efficient cleaning and reassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If reusable medical systems or devices are used across multiple procedures, then costs are reduced and resource utilization is improved, but cross-contamination between patients may occur leading to infection risks
Solution Approach 1:
The medical device is divided into separable components: a reusable handle assembly and a disposable shaft assembly. This segmentation allows the handle to be sterilized and reused while the shaft is discarded after single use, eliminating cross-contamination risks while avoiding the need to dispose of entire devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a strategy where the shaft portion is designed for single-use and discarded after one procedure, while the handle portion is recovered, sterilized, and reused for subsequent procedures. This approach recovers valuable components while ensuring safety through selective disposal.
2Reliability
If disposable medical systems or devices are employed to prevent cross-contamination, then infection risks are eliminated, but costs and material consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into disposable and reusable portions. Only the shaft assembly requiring contact with the patient is made disposable, while the handle assembly is reused. This reduces material consumption compared to complete single-use devices while maintaining infection prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft assembly is designed as a low-cost, single-use component that can be easily manufactured and disposed of. By making only the critical contact portion disposable rather than the entire device, material consumption is optimized while infection risks are eliminated.
3Reliability
If extensive sterilization and reprocessing procedures are performed on reusable medical systems, then cross-contamination is prevented, but the duration and costs of the procedure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft assembly is extracted as a separate, disposable component that does not require sterilization between patients. This eliminates the time-consuming sterilization process for the entire device while still preventing cross-contamination through single-use of the critical portion.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of sterilizing the entire device, only the handle is recovered and sterilized while the shaft is discarded. This significantly reduces reprocessing time and costs compared to sterilizing complete reusable devices, while maintaining cross-contamination prevention.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical system includes a medical device and an end cap. The medical device includes a handle, including an actuation device, and a shaft extending from the handle. A distal end of the shaft includes a tab, and the tab is movable based on movement of the actuation device. The end cap includes a modular camera assembly. The modular camera assembly includes a camera, a support, an arm, and a cavity. The tab is coupleable to the modular camera assembly via the cavity, and movement of the tab controls a position of the support and the camera.