Needleless Connector Tortuous Flow Path
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional needleless connectors with linear fluid flow paths fail to fully flush the fluid-filled volume, leading to potential medication degradation due to non-flushed regions within the connector.
Innovation Solution
A self-sealing needleless connector with a tortuous fluid flow path is designed, featuring a collapsible valve with multiple rings and notches that force fluid to flow circumferentially, ensuring that the entire fluid-filled volume is flushed during use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a linear fluid flow path is used in the connector, then the device complexity is reduced and manufacturing is easier, but the fluid-filled volume is not fully flushed leading to medication degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by designing a tortuous (curved/snaking) flow path through the connector housing instead of a straight linear path. This curved path ensures that fluid flows through all regions of the fluid-filled volume, completely flushing the connector to prevent medication degradation while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standard molding techniques.
2Reliability
If a tortuous fluid flow path is implemented, then the entire fluid-filled volume is flushed improving medication safety, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tortuous flow path is integrated into the connector housing as a curved channel that can be manufactured using standard injection molding processes. The curvature of the path is designed to navigate through the housing geometry efficiently, ensuring complete fluid flushing without requiring complex assembly steps or specialized manufacturing techniques.
3Device complexity
If a linear flow path is used, then the connector structure is simpler, but non-flushed regions cause medication degradation over time
Solution Approach 1:
The curved tortuous path is designed to maximize fluid contact with all internal surfaces of the connector while maintaining a compact structure. The path winds through the housing to ensure that even during short connection times, fluid completely flushes the connector, preventing medication degradation and extending the safe duration of use.
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 tortuous flow path effectively reduces the non-flushed portion of the fluid-filled volume, minimizing the risk of medication degradation by ensuring that all fluid within the connector is flushed, thereby maintaining the integrity and effectiveness of medical fluids.
Implementation Method 1
The flow path passes through one of the one or more notches in each respective one of the one or more rings
Data Source
AI summary
A needleless connector has a housing with an internal cavity having an interior surface, a port, an output flow channel, and a fluid flow path through the cavity between the port and the output flow channel. A collapsible valve is disposed within the cavity. The valve has one or more rings each having a surface that is in sealing contact with the interior surface of the housing. There are one or more notches formed in each of the one or more rings, and the flow path passes through one of the notches in each of the one or more rings.