Needleless Connector Elastic Valve Backflow Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing needleless connectors in the medical field face challenges in reliably switching between communication and blocking states of drug solution flow paths, leading to potential backflow of blood during male luer removal, and struggle with achieving both ease of deformation and sufficient shape restorability.
Innovation Solution
A needleless connector design featuring a hollow elastic body with a tube shape and a middle protrusion that deforms to increase the volume of the drug solution flow path upon male luer insertion, and reduces it upon removal, utilizing elastic deformation to prevent backflow through positive pressure, and incorporating a lid part with a deformation allowance space and guide protrusions for stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the piston wall is made thin to deform easily, then ease of deformation is improved, but sufficient shape restoring force cannot be obtained
Solution Approach 1:
The piston wall is divided into multiple circumferential sections that can deform independently. This segmentation allows the wall to bend easily in the radial direction while maintaining overall structural integrity and shape restoring force through the combined elasticity of all sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston wall is designed as a thin-walled elastic structure with circumferential segmentation that provides flexibility for radial deformation. The thin wall enables easy bending when pressed by the male luer, while the elastic material and segmented design ensure sufficient shape restoration when the pressing force is removed.
2Strength
If the piston wall is made thick to obtain sufficient shape restoring force, then strength is improved, but compression deformation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The piston wall is divided into multiple circumferential sections that can deform independently. This segmentation allows the wall to bend easily in the radial direction while maintaining overall structural integrity and shape restoring force through the combined elasticity of all sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston wall is designed as a thin-walled elastic structure with circumferential segmentation that provides flexibility for radial deformation. The thin wall enables easy bending when pressed by the male luer, while the elastic material and segmented design ensure sufficient shape restoration when the pressing force is removed.
3Ease of operation
If the hollow elastic body is made to deform easily, then ease of operation is improved, but reliable blocking state cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The piston wall is divided into multiple circumferential sections that can deform independently. This segmentation allows the wall to bend easily in the radial direction while maintaining overall structural integrity and shape restoring force through the combined elasticity of all sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston wall is designed as a thin-walled elastic structure with circumferential segmentation that provides flexibility for radial deformation. The thin wall enables easy bending when pressed by the male luer, while the elastic material and segmented design ensure sufficient shape restoration when the pressing force is removed.
4Reliability
If the hollow elastic body is made to have sufficient shape restoring force, then reliability is improved, but ease of deformation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The piston wall is divided into multiple circumferential sections that can deform independently. This segmentation allows the wall to bend easily in the radial direction while maintaining overall structural integrity and shape restoring force through the combined elasticity of all sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston wall is designed as a thin-walled elastic structure with circumferential segmentation that provides flexibility for radial deformation. The thin wall enables easy bending when pressed by the male luer, while the elastic material and segmented design ensure sufficient shape restoration when the pressing force is removed.
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
This design effectively prevents backflow of blood by maintaining positive pressure within the drug solution flow path and ensures reliable switching between communication and blocking states, improving manufacturing ease and operational stability.
Implementation Method 1
by the hollow elastic body being pressed by a male luer such as of a syringe or the like, compression deformation occurs in the axial direction on the tube shaped piston wall
Implementation Method 2
the drug solution flow path is switched from a blocked state to a communicating state by opening a slit by the elastic valve body being elastically deformed by the male luer inserted from the inlet
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A bottomed, tubular hollow elastic body (16) that opens toward an outlet side of a drug solution flow path (80) is accommodated and arranged in an accommodation part (20) formed in a housing (12), and a middle protrusion (66) is provided protruding toward an inlet side of the drug solution flow path (80) from a center part of a bottom wall (70) of the hollow elastic body (16). Insertion of a male luer (86) causes the bottom wall (70) of the hollow elastic body (16) to be elastically deformed so as to enter inside a peripheral wall (68), increasing the volume of the drug solution flow path (80), which is formed between an outer surface of the hollow elastic body (16) and an inner surface of the accommodation part (20). Removing the male luer (86) and canceling the elastic deformation of the hollow elastic body (16) causes the volume of the drug solution flow path (80) to be reduced.