Nasal Cannula Angled End Caps Stabilizing Plate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing nasal cannulas face challenges in delivering oxygen and accurately measuring exhaled carbon dioxide due to issues like washout, which can lead to inaccurate readings and instability during use.
Innovation Solution
A nasal cannula design featuring angled end caps, a stabilizing plate, and strategically positioned nasal projections to reduce washout and enhance oxygen delivery and carbon dioxide measurement, with end caps made from harder materials for improved assembly and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the nasal cannula body is made from a soft medical grade polymer for comfort, then patient comfort is improved, but manufacturing precision and assembly difficulty worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The nasal cannula is divided into three main segments: the soft body portion for patient comfort, and two separate end caps for precise connection points. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently - the body for comfort and the end caps for manufacturing precision and assembly ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The end caps act as intermediary components between the soft body portion and the rigid connection points. These caps provide a transition zone that combines the flexibility needed for patient comfort with the structural integrity and precision required for accurate assembly and durable connections.
2Ease of manufacture
If end caps are made from harder material for improved assembly and durability, then assembly ease and durability are improved, but material homogeneity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
Different parts of the nasal cannula are made from materials with different properties optimized for their specific functions. The body portion uses soft medical grade polymer for patient comfort, while the end caps use harder materials like polycarbonate or ABS for manufacturing precision and assembly ease. This local differentiation of material quality resolves the contradiction between comfort and manufacturability.
Solution Approach 2:
The nasal cannula employs a composite construction combining different materials - soft medical grade polymers (PVC or polyurethane) for the body and harder materials (polycarbonate or ABS) for the end caps. This composite approach allows each material to contribute its optimal properties to the overall device performance.
3Device complexity
If nasal cannula lacks stabilizing structure, then device complexity is reduced, but stability during use worsens
Solution Approach 1:
A flat plate is added extending from the back surface of the body portion, creating a stabilizing element in a new spatial dimension. This plate extends backward from the main body, providing a broad surface that contacts the patient's face to prevent rolling and twisting, thereby adding stability without significantly increasing overall structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A nasal cannula comprises a body portion, having a first end and a second end spaced from the first end by the body portion; a body fluid inlet port formed at the first end, and a body fluid outlet port formed at the second end; and a first nasal inlet port and a first nasal outlet port each extending from the body portion of the cannula. The first nasal inlet port is in fluid communication with the body fluid outlet port, and the first nasal outlet port is in fluid communication with the body fluid inlet port. The nasal cannula includes first and second end caps at the first and second ends respectively. The first and second end caps are attachable to the body portion. The body fluid inlet port is formed in the first end cap, and the body fluid outlet port is formed in the second end cap.