Needleless Access Port Valve Flexible Wall Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing needleless access port valves in the medical industry face challenges in efficiently controlling fluid communication and maintaining effective sealing, particularly when used with medical implements, due to limitations in valve design and material properties.
Innovation Solution
A needleless access port valve design featuring a valve body with a flexible wall that bends inwardly and outwardly to accommodate a tapered plug, allowing for controlled fluid communication between an inlet and outlet, and incorporating guide ribs and baffles to maintain a fixed gap and resist torsional forces, ensuring reliable operation and sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid valve body is used to maintain structural stability, then manufacturing precision and reliability are improved, but the valve cannot accommodate plug movement and maintain sealing effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body incorporates a flexible wall section that can bend and deform to accommodate the movement of the plug between open and closed positions. This flexibility allows the valve to maintain effective sealing contact with the plug throughout its range of motion, resolving the contradiction between structural stability and adaptability to plug movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve body's physical state changes from rigid to flexible in specific regions, allowing dynamic adaptation to plug position. The flexible wall can change its shape and position to maintain optimal sealing contact, enabling reliable sealing without requiring complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
2Reliability
If a flexible wall is used to accommodate plug movement, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but resistance to compression and tension forces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is constructed as a composite structure combining rigid sections and flexible wall sections. The rigid portions provide structural stability and resistance to compression and tension forces, while the flexible wall sections maintain sealing effectiveness by adapting to plug movement. This composite design resolves the contradiction between flexibility for sealing and rigidity for strength.
3Ease of manufacture
If the valve structure is simplified for ease of manufacture, then manufacturing precision is improved, but the ability to maintain a fixed gap and resist torsional forces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is segmented into distinct rigid sections and flexible wall sections, each performing specific functions. The rigid sections maintain the fixed gap and resist torsional forces, while the flexible sections provide sealing adaptability. This segmentation allows the valve to achieve structural stability without requiring complex integrated designs, improving ease of manufacture while maintaining performance.
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 design enhances fluid flow management and sealing efficiency, allowing for effective use with medical implements while ensuring the valve returns to its original position after use, maintaining a consistent gap and resisting compression and tension forces.
Implementation Method 1
the valve body comprises a flexible wall flexibly bending inwardly towards the central axis when the plug is in the first position; and wherein the flexible wall flexibly bending outwardly away from the central axis and contacting the tapered section when the plug is in the second position
Data Source
AI summary
Needleless access port valves are generally discussed herein with particular discussions extended to needleless access port valves having a pliant valve body configured to expand to accommodate a plug when the same is pushed by a syringe or a medical implement and contract when the syringe or medical implement is removed to return the plug to its original position. The plug can move distally and tilt when inside the pliant valve body or remain generally upright when its top surface incorporates flow channels. Interior baffles are included for fluid flow through the interior cavity of the valve. The baffles can vary in shape, number, contour, and can include a ramp.