Nasal Mucus Extraction Device With Illumination And Depth Stop
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for removing nasal mucus and earwax are ineffective, uncomfortable, and unsafe, especially for infants and children, as they often push debris further into the nostrils or ear canals, and lack adequate illumination for visualization during removal.
Innovation Solution
A device with a light assembly and interchangeable extraction portions, including a loop, bulb, scoop, and pointed tip, designed to fit within nostrils or ear canals safely and illuminate the area, preventing over-insertion and facilitating the removal of mucus or earwax.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If fingers or cotton swabs are used to remove mucus, then the removal action can be performed, but the mucus is pushed further up the nostril increasing discomfort and breathing difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of pushing mucus outward with fingers or cotton swabs, the invention uses a suction device that creates negative pressure to draw mucus outward through the nostril, reversing the harmful pushing action into a beneficial pulling action that removes rather than displaces debris
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the manual mechanical action of fingers and cotton swabs with a controlled suction system that uses pressure differentials to remove mucus, providing more effective and safer removal without the harmful pushing effect
2Ease of operation
If known devices are inserted into nostrils of infants and children, then mucus removal may occur, but injury and extreme discomfort result due to smaller nostril size
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the size parameter of the extraction element to be appropriately scaled for infant and child nostrils, making the device safe for use across different age groups while maintaining effective mucus removal capability
Solution Approach 2:
The suction-based approach reverses the harmful pushing mechanism, allowing safe insertion of appropriately sized elements that draw mucus outward rather than pushing it deeper into the smaller nostril passages of infants and children
3Ease of operation
If nasal irrigation is used to remove mucus, then cleansing can be achieved, but the process is difficult, uncomfortable and messy
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the mucus removal function from the complex nasal irrigation process, providing a direct suction-based extraction method that achieves cleansing without the need for water flushing, containers, and positioning required by irrigation techniques
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the fluid dynamics-based irrigation system with a pressure differential-based suction system, substituting the complex multi-step irrigation process with a simpler direct extraction mechanism
4Ease of operation
If ambient light level is low during mucus or earwax removal, then the procedure can continue, but visualization of mucus and earwax becomes very difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the removal device with an integrated light source, combining the extraction function with illumination in a single unified device that provides both visibility and mucus/earwax removal capability
Solution Approach 2:
The light source acts as an intermediary that enables visualization of the target area, allowing the user to detect and remove mucus or earwax even in low-light conditions by providing the necessary illumination between the user's vision and the target debris
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 device effectively and safely removes both dry and wet nasal mucus and earwax, providing improved visibility and reducing discomfort, making it suitable for infants and children, and is usable in low-light conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a light assembly, the light assembly including a light emitting device, the light emitting device configured to emit light so as to illuminate at least a portion of a nostril or an ear canal
Data Source
AI summary
A device for removing mucus from a nostril or earwax from an ear canal is disclosed herein. The device includes a light assembly, the light assembly including a light emitting device, the light emitting device configured to emit light so as to illuminate at least a portion of a nostril or an ear canal; and an extraction portion configured to be coupled to the light assembly, the extraction portion including an extraction element and a stop located adjacent to the extraction element, the extraction element sized and configured to fit within the nostril or the ear canal for extracting mucus or earwax, and the stop sized to prevent insertion of the stop into the nostril or the ear canal and limit the depth that the extraction element is able to be inserted into the nostril or the ear canal.