Offset Catheter Connector With Differential Compression Collar
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing catheter connectors face challenges such as inadequate sealing, difficulty in centering, and lack of strain relief, leading to potential leaks and separation during implantation in medical applications.
Innovation Solution
The use of offset catheter connectors with a compressible inner body and a collar that differentially compresses the catheter, providing a secure and stable connection through a tube and collar passage system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the connector is sized to fit within the lumens of the catheter sections, then the connection is secure, but the connector becomes difficult to manipulate during implantation
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into two distinct functional parts: a small connector body that fits within the catheter lumen for secure connection, and a larger collar portion that extends outside the catheter for manipulation and positioning. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector body is nested within the catheter lumen, while the collar surrounds the catheter externally. This nested arrangement allows the small connector body to be securely positioned within the catheter while the larger collar provides external access for manipulation during implantation.
2Volume of moving object
If the connector fits entirely within the lumens of the catheter sections, then the connection is compact, but it becomes difficult to center the catheter sections on the connector
Solution Approach 1:
The collar is designed with an asymmetric offset configuration where the tube is positioned off-center within the collar passage. This asymmetric design creates a mechanical advantage that guides and centers the catheter sections on the connector during assembly, improving alignment accuracy without increasing the overall connector volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The offset configuration introduces a dimensional relationship between the tube and collar passage that creates a self-aligning mechanism. The offset distance creates a geometric constraint that naturally centers the catheter sections on the connector during insertion, improving positioning precision.
3Volume of moving object
If the connector is made small to fit within catheter lumens, then it is compact, but it provides insufficient strain relief to the connection
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is segmented into a small connector body for compactness and a larger collar portion that provides strain relief. The collar's larger size allows it to engage with the catheter externally and provide mechanical support and strain distribution, while the connector body remains compact for internal placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar acts as an intermediary element between the connector body and the catheter. It provides a transition zone that distributes mechanical stresses and provides strain relief, protecting the connection point while allowing the connector body to remain small for internal placement.
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 solution enhances the security and stability of catheter connections, reducing the likelihood of leaks and separation, while allowing for easier manipulation and alignment during implantation.
Implementation Method 1
the catheter is compressed within the collar passage between the tube and the collar passage
Implementation Method 2
the catheter may be differentially compressed on opposing sides of the tube
Data Source
AI summary
Catheter connectors, connection systems, and methods of use in which a catheter is attached to an offset connector such that the catheter is retained on the connector by compression between a tube located within the catheter and a collar fitted over the portion of the catheter containing the tube. The catheters used with the offset catheter connection systems may include an elastically compressible inner body that is surrounded by a reinforcing braid. After the offset connector tube is inserted into the lumen of the catheter, a collar may be advanced over the exterior of the catheter and the offset connecter tube contained therein.