Multi-Flex Urinary Catheter Assembly With Reinforced Drainage Connection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing urinary catheters face challenges in attaching drainage members efficiently, requiring adhesive/chemical bonding with associated delays and specialized welding, and lack flexibility variation along the shaft for improved maneuverability and control.
Innovation Solution
A catheter assembly with a reinforcement member that includes a connector extending within the inner drainage lumen, allowing mechanical attachment of a drainage member, and varying flexibility through splines or vanes for enhanced control and urine flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single-lumen catheter is used, then the risk of cross-contamination between drainage systems is reduced, but the ability to simultaneously drain multiple body cavities is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter is divided into multiple lumens within a single catheter body, with each lumen independently isolating fluid flow between different body cavities. This segmentation allows simultaneous drainage of multiple cavities while preventing cross-contamination through physical separation of fluid pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
A single multi-lumen catheter performs multiple drainage functions simultaneously, replacing the need for separate single-lumen catheters for each body cavity. The universal design allows one catheter to drain pleural space, peritoneal cavity, and other cavities while maintaining isolation between them.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate catheters are used to drain different body cavities, then each cavity can be drained independently, but the complexity of patient care and risk of misconnection increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple separate catheters are merged into a single multi-lumen catheter assembly, with each lumen maintaining independent drainage capability. This combining reduces the number of separate devices, connections, and manipulation steps required while preserving independent drainage function for each body cavity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a multi-lumen catheter is used, then the ability to drain multiple body cavities simultaneously is improved, but the risk of cross-contamination between lumens increases
Solution Approach 1:
The internal structure is segmented into distinct lumens with separate pathways from each drainage port to the external outlet. This segmentation creates physical barriers that prevent fluid and potential contaminants from crossing between lumens, maintaining reliability while enabling simultaneous multi-cavity drainage.
Solution Approach 2:
Separate drainage ports and isolated lumens act as intermediaries between different body cavities and the external environment, preventing direct communication and potential cross-contamination while allowing simultaneous drainage of multiple cavities through controlled separate pathways.
4Strength
If a rigid catheter structure is used, then structural integrity and positioning stability are improved, but patient comfort and ease of insertion are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter employs a flexible outer sheath or membrane structure that allows the catheter to conform to body contours and tissue planes during insertion and positioning. This flexible shell maintains structural integrity for proper positioning while providing patient comfort by reducing irritation and trauma to surrounding tissues.
Data Source
Figure 1~1B
Figure 1C~1E
Figure 2
AI summary
An intermittent urinary catheter assembly 100 includes a reinforcement member 106 extending longitudinally at least partially within the distal end portion of the inner drainage lumen 104 of the catheter shaft. The reinforcement member may serve to connect a drainage member 114 to the catheter shaft and includes a drainage passageway in fluid communication with the inner drainage lumen of the shaft for allowing the drainage of urine through the urinary catheter assembly.