Needle-Free Connector Cavity Segmentation for Fluid Accumulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Needle-free connectors experience unintended fluid accumulation due to leakage from the fluid pathway, leading to performance degradation, valve failure, and potential biofilm development, which can expose patients to infection.
Innovation Solution
A needle-free connector design featuring a housing with a center-post and a valve comprising a head and a skirt, where the valve moves between closed and open configurations to resist fluid movement and separate the connector's cavity into distinct fluid isolation portions, preventing fluid accumulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a needle-free connector uses a large interior volume cavity design, then fluid storage capacity is improved, but residual fluid accumulation increases leading to contamination and performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cavity into two separate portions using a fluid separator: a first portion that receives leaked fluid and a second portion that maintains the fluid pathway. This segmentation prevents residual fluid from accumulating in the fluid pathway while preserving the large cavity volume for fluid storage, thus resolving the contradiction between fluid storage capacity and connector performance reliability.
2Productivity
If the valve is positioned within the housing to form a fluid path, then fluid transmission is improved, but fluid leakage occurs leading to unintended accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a fluid separator as an intermediary component between the valve and the cavity. This separator intercepts and redirects leaked fluid into a designated collection portion, preventing the harmful accumulation of leaked fluid while preserving the valve's fluid transmission function. The fluid separator acts as a mediator that converts the harmful leakage into a controlled fluid redirection.
3Productivity
If the connector allows complete fluid flow through the cavity, then fluid delivery is improved, but unintended accumulation occurs causing biofilm development and infection risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cavity into a first portion for collecting leaked fluid and a second portion for maintaining the fluid pathway. This segmentation ensures that complete fluid flow is maintained through the second portion while the first portion captures and isolates any leaked fluid, preventing it from stagnating and forming biofilms. The segmentation thus eliminates the harmful effect of biofilm contamination while preserving complete fluid delivery.
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 effectively prevents fluid accumulation, maintains connector performance, and reduces the risk of biofilm formation and patient infection by ensuring complete fluid transfer and minimizing contamination.
Implementation Method 1
a valve comprising a head and a skirt, the head having an inner surface forming a passage through the head... the valve having a closed configuration wherein the inner surface of the valve is engaged against the opening to resist movement of a fluid through the center-post, and an open configuration wherein the head is biased away from the opening to permit movement of a fluid through the center-post
Implementation Method 2
the skirt extending radially outward from the head to an outer end of the skirt, the valve disposed around the center-post with the head of the valve longitudinally movable along the center-post and relative to the outer end of the skirt, and the outer end of the skirt spaced apart from the cavity floor to fluidly separate the cavity of the housing into a first portion of the cavity between the skirt and the first housing port, and a second portion of the cavity between the skirt and the second housing port
Data Source
AI summary
Needle-free connectors having a housing with an cavity and center-post, and valves having a head and a skirt are disclosed where the valve is positioned within the cavity of the housing with the center-post extending into a passage through the valve, and the skirt extending away from the head of the valve to the housing to fluidly separate the cavity into a first portion and a second portion, and where an outer end of the skirt is spaced apart from an end of the cavity to permit the valve to move between a closed configuration and an open configuration such that, in the open configuration, the skirt extends along the head and in a direction toward a first housing port, and as the valve moves from the open configuration toward the closed configuration, a volume of the first portion of the cavity decreases to expel any fluid accumulated therein.