Medical Device Mount Interface With Spring-Plug Quick Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mount interfaces, such as compression ring clamping assemblies, are difficult to use and expensive to manufacture and assemble, particularly in the context of heart-lung machines where quick and efficient replacement of cardiac pumps is necessary regardless of orientation.
Innovation Solution
A mount interface featuring a latch and latching assembly with spring-biased plugs and a keyhole-shaped orifice, allowing for secure locking and easy disengagement, and a non-linear link for release, enabling efficient and cost-effective mounting of medical devices like cardiac pumps to heart-lung machines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a compression ring clamping assembly is used to mount a cardiac pump to the frame, then the connection is secure, but the connector is difficult to use and expensive to manufacture and assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into separate components: a latch mechanism and a latching assembly. The latch includes a head portion, neck portion, and tail portion, while the latching assembly includes a housing, irregular orifice, and spring-biased plugs. This segmentation allows for simpler, less expensive manufacturing of individual parts compared to a monolithic compression ring assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the essential locking function from the complex compression ring assembly and implements it through a simplified latch-plug system. The latch engages with the irregular orifice and spring-biased plugs to provide secure connection without requiring the complex structure of a compression ring clamping assembly.
2Strength
If a compression ring clamping assembly is used, then the connection is secure, but the connector is difficult to operate especially in emergency replacement scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-biased plugs are pre-positioned within the housing to engage with the latch. When the latch is inserted, the springs automatically push the plugs into engagement position, eliminating the need for manual adjustment or complex alignment during connection. This preliminary positioning enables quick and easy operation during emergency pump replacements.
Solution Approach 2:
The latching system incorporates spring-biased plugs that can dynamically move between engaged and disengaged positions. The springs provide automatic resetting capability, allowing the connector to be quickly released and re-engaged multiple times without manual intervention to reset the locking mechanism, greatly facilitating emergency replacements.
3Strength
If a compression ring clamping assembly is used, then the connection is secure, but the assembly time is excessive for emergency replacements
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-biased plugs are pre-loaded in the housing ready to engage. When the latch is inserted, engagement occurs automatically and immediately through the spring force, eliminating the time-consuming manual tightening or adjustment required by compression ring assemblies. This enables rapid connection during emergency scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring active force to maintain the locked position and then actively disengage, the system uses spring force to automatically engage and maintain locking. The latch simply needs to be inserted to trigger automatic engagement, and release is achieved by overcoming the spring force, inverting the traditional approach and significantly reducing assembly time.
4Ease of manufacture
If a latch and latching assembly with spring-biased plugs are used, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the latching mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The latching mechanism is segmented into simple, discrete components: a latch with head/neck/tail portions and a latching assembly with housing, irregular orifice, and spring-biased plugs. Each component is simple to manufacture individually, and their assembly is straightforward, reducing overall manufacturing cost despite the functional complexity of the latching operation.
5Ease of operation
If the latch and latching assembly are designed for quick release, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of the locked position may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-biased plugs are pre-positioned to engage with the latch in the locked position. The springs continuously exert force to maintain engagement, ensuring reliable locking without requiring complex safety mechanisms. The simplicity of the spring-latch geometry provides inherent reliability while maintaining ease of release.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch and latching assembly are designed as simple, potentially disposable components that can be quickly replaced rather than maintained. This approach ensures reliability by allowing replacement of worn components without complex repair procedures, while the simple design keeps manufacturing costs low and operation easy.
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 provides a secure, efficient, and cost-effective method for mounting and replacing medical devices on heart-lung machines, facilitating quick orientation-independent installation and removal, thereby reducing assembly costs and improving operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the first plug and the second plug are each spring-biased towards an external surface of the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A mount interface is described that includes a latch; and a latching assembly configured to receive the latch so as to lock the latch at a set position with respect to the latching assembly, wherein the latching assembly includes a housing provided with an irregular orifice configured to receive the latch; a first plug disposed in the housing so that a first portion of the irregular orifice overlies the first plug; and a second plug disposed in the housing adjacent the first plug so that a second portion of the irregular orifice overlies the second plug. Such a mount interface provides rapid and secure locking of a latch to the latching assembly.