Needle-Free Connector Collapsible Resilient Membrane
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing needle-free connectors for fluid transfer in medical settings fail to minimize priming volume, leading to unnecessary drug loss and potential contamination risks during injection and withdrawal processes.
Innovation Solution
A needle-free connector design featuring a hollow resilient membrane with a slit that opens to create a fluid passage, utilizing a stem to facilitate activation and reduce internal cavity volume, ensuring minimal priming space and enhanced safety through automatic closure and antimicrobial properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a hollow resilient membrane with internal cavity is used in needle-free connector, then fluid passage and activation are facilitated, but priming volume increases causing drug wastage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a hollow resilient membrane as a flexible thin film structure that forms the core fluid passage component. The membrane's flexibility allows it to be compressed and deformed during activation while maintaining its sealing function, enabling needle-free operation without requiring excessive priming volume
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the resilient properties of the membrane material, allowing it to change its physical state between compressed (closed) and relaxed (open) configurations. This parameter change enables the membrane to function as both a seal and a fluid passage without requiring a large internal cavity for priming
2Reliability
If traditional elastomeric stopper with needle is used, then reliable sealing and drug injection are achieved, but accidental puncture hazard and contamination risk occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the needle component entirely from the fluid injection system, replacing it with a needle-free activation mechanism using a compression cap and resilient membrane. This extraction eliminates the puncture hazard while maintaining the ability to achieve reliable sealing and fluid transfer through alternative mechanical means
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a compression cap as an intermediary element that mediates between the user's manual compression force and the resilient membrane. This intermediary allows controlled activation of the fluid passage without requiring direct needle penetration, thereby eliminating accidental puncture risks while maintaining sealing reliability
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 reduces drug wastage by minimizing the priming volume and enhances safety by preventing bacterial contamination and accidental needle punctures, ensuring efficient and safe fluid transfer in medical applications.
Implementation Method 1
a hollow resilient membrane disposed in the valve body and having: a first end and a second end between which the resilient membrane longitudinally extends
Implementation Method 2
The elastomeric stopper may be resealable in order to avoid leak through the stopper after removal of the needle of the syringe, typically by compressive resilient force
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention proposes a needle free connector (20) for fluid passage, comprising: a valve body comprising : a first port (26); a second port (46); a hollow resilient membrane (30) disposed in the valve body and having: a first end (32) and a second end (34); a flank (38) extending between the first end (32) and the second end (34) fitting with the internal surface of the valve body, a slit (36) of the first end (32) being: closed when the first end (32) is disposed in the first port (26) or opened when the first end (32) is pushed into the valve body. The invention also proposes a drug recipient comprising a bottle or a bag designed to store drug, and the needle free connector. The invention offers a needle free connector with a slitted resilient membrane having reduced priming volume.