Multi-Panel Sterilization Assembly with Fold Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional disposable sterilization wraps require excessive material and skill to wrap and unwrap efficiently, leading to potential sterility breaches and increased costs due to handling errors and material waste, particularly in high-pressure medical settings where quick and reliable sterilization is crucial.
Innovation Solution
A disposable flexible multi-panel sterilization assembly featuring a permeable barrier panel with a fold protection panel and panel attachment means, designed to simplify the wrapping and unwrapping process while reducing material usage and minimizing sterility breaches, using a breathable nonwoven material and reinforcement elements to enhance durability and protection against pressure cuts and holes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional disposable sterilization wrap is used, then sterility is maintained, but wrapping time and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The sterilization wrap is divided into multiple panels with specific fold lines that guide the wrapping process. The wrap includes a front panel, back panel, and side panels that can be folded in a predetermined sequence, reducing the complexity and time of wrapping while maintaining sterility through the structured design.
Solution Approach 2:
The wrap is pre-configured with fold lines, tabs, and panel orientations that indicate the correct wrapping sequence. This preliminary structuring allows the user to simply follow the pre-determined folds rather than figuring out the wrapping technique, significantly reducing wrapping time while ensuring proper sterility maintenance.
2Reliability
If excessive material is used to create tortuous path, then sterility protection is enhanced, but material waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wrap uses multiple discrete panels instead of excessive overlapping material. Each panel serves a specific function (front, back, sides) and the panels are joined through predetermined folds, creating an efficient barrier that maintains sterility without the material waste associated with traditional excessive overlapping techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The wrap utilizes thin film panels that are sufficiently barrier-resistant to maintain sterility. The flexible nature of these thin panels allows them to conform to the sterilization container while providing adequate protection, reducing material usage compared to thicker, excessive material layers.
3Reliability
If multiple folds are used to inhibit bacteria passage, then sterility is maintained, but handling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wrap is segmented into panels with clear fold lines that guide the user through a simplified folding sequence. This segmentation reduces handling complexity by providing visual and structural cues for each fold, making the process more intuitive while still creating the necessary tortuous path for bacteria inhibition.
Solution Approach 2:
The predetermined fold lines and panel orientations are pre-configured to create the tortuous path structure. This preliminary arrangement means the user does not need to create complex folds from scratch, reducing handling difficulty while maintaining the sterility-protection tortuous path structure.
4Strength
If reinforcement elements are added to prevent pressure cuts, then durability is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Reinforcement elements are strategically placed only at critical locations where pressure cuts are most likely to occur, such as at the fold lines and high-stress areas. This localized reinforcement provides the necessary strength while minimizing the overall complexity of the wrap structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The wrap incorporates reinforcement elements that may be integrated with the panel material, creating a composite structure. This could include layered materials or embedded strengthening components that provide enhanced resistance to pressure cuts without significantly increasing the overall structural complexity.
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 significantly reduces the time and complexity of wrapping and unwrapping, minimizes material waste, and enhances the sterility of sterilized contents by using a more efficient and robust packaging system that withstands handling stresses, thereby reducing the risk of sterility breaches and associated costs.
Implementation Method 1
a barrier panel (102) composed of a permeable sheet material (104) having barrier properties
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4A~4E
Figure 5A~5E
AI summary
A multi-panel sterilization assembly that includes a barrier panel formed of a permeable material, a fold protection panel, and at least one panel attachment means. The barrier panel has a first end and a second end opposite the first end such that the barrier panel has a length that is the distance from the first end to the second end and a midpoint along the length generally delineating the barrier panel into a content receiving region and a content covering region. Panel attachment means are located between the first end and the midpoint of the barrier panel at a pre-determined position to identify the content receiving region. The fold protection panel is in juxtaposed communication with the barrier panel, and has a proximal end generally adjacent the barrier panel, a distal end generally opposite the proximal end, and a length that is the distance between these ends, such that, after the barrier panel has been folded at or near the barrier panel's midpoint so its second end is brought near its first end and its edges brought together and secured by the panel attachment means to form a package, the fold protection panel folds at or near the pre-determined fold line to cover at least a portion of the edges of the folded barrier panel.