Nested Catheter System for Blood Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing blood collection methods, particularly those using previously placed catheters, face challenges such as clot formation, fibrin sheaths, catheter softening, and hemolysis, which hinder efficient and high-quality blood withdrawal.
Innovation Solution
A catheter system that includes a cannula with increased rigidity and a distal tip designed to bypass obstructions and venous valves, allowing for laminar blood flow and improved access within the vasculature, which is advanced through a pre-placed catheter to facilitate blood collection without the need for needles or piercing members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a previously placed catheter is used for blood collection, then patient comfort is improved and frequent venipuncture is reduced, but clot formation, fibrin sheaths, and catheter softening occur which hinder blood withdrawal
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the catheter into two separate components: a base catheter that remains in place for patient comfort and a follow-on catheter that is inserted through the base catheter for blood collection. This segmentation allows each catheter to perform its specific function optimally without the drawbacks of using a single catheter for both purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The follow-on catheter is nested within the base catheter, with the follow-on catheter's outer diameter being less than the inner diameter of the base catheter. This nesting configuration allows the follow-on catheter to be advanced through the base catheter to access blood flow while the base catheter remains in place, solving the contradiction between patient comfort and blood withdrawal efficiency.
2Ease of manufacture
If a standard catheter is used, then insertion is simple, but the catheter softens over time and cannot maintain rigid lumen for efficient blood draws
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the insertion function (base catheter) from the blood collection function (follow-on catheter). The base catheter is simple and easy to insert, while the follow-on catheter is specifically designed with rigidity-enhancing features such as a stiffener member or rigid material construction to maintain lumen patency during blood draws.
Solution Approach 2:
The follow-on catheter incorporates local quality improvements such as a stiffener member positioned within the catheter wall or made from rigid materials like PEEK or glass. These localized rigidity enhancements are applied only where needed (in the follow-on catheter used for blood collection) while the base catheter remains simple and flexible for easy insertion.
3Productivity
If blood is drawn through a catheter with obstructions, then the procedure can be performed, but hemolysis occurs and blood quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by placing the base catheter in advance, allowing time for vascular access establishment. The follow-on catheter is then inserted through the base catheter to reach an optimal position that bypasses obstructions like clot formations or fibrin sheaths, ensuring high-quality blood collection without hemolysis while maintaining procedural efficiency.
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 system enables efficient, high-quality blood collection by avoiding obstructions and promoting laminar flow, reducing hemolysis and the need for frequent venipuncture, thus improving patient comfort and procedural efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
A catheter system that includes a cannula with increased rigidity and a distal tip designed to bypass obstructions and venous valves, allowing for laminar blood flow
Data Source
AI summary
A system can include a housing that can be coupled with a base catheter. The system can further include an access catheter of which a first portion is positioned within the housing and a second portion extends out of the housing through an opening when the access catheter is in a retracted position. The system can further include a stiffener encompassing at least a portion of the second portion of the access catheter, and the stiffener can be graspable at an exterior of the housing for application of force thereto to advance the access catheter from the retracted position to an extended position. When the housing is coupled to the base catheter, the first portion of the access catheter can be advanced through at least a portion of the base catheter as the access catheter is advanced to the extended position.