Overmolded Elastomer Coupling Body for Negative Pressure Wound Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connection devices for negative pressure wound therapy are complex and costly to produce, particularly due to the one-piece design of conduits and coupling bodies, which complicates the sealing process and manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A connection device with a separately manufactured, preferably flat conduit line produced by extrusion, where the coupling body is formed by overmolding onto the conduit end and completed with an end cap, allowing for a process-reliable sealing transition and economical production. The coupling body is designed with injection-molded lumens that open freely and connect at their distal ends, ensuring efficient fluid flow and rinsability, and is made of flexible elastomeric materials like silicone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a one-piece design of conduit and coupling body is used, then the sealing transition is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The connection device is divided into separate components: a conduit produced by extrusion and a coupling body produced by injection molding. These components are then joined together through overmolding, which creates a sealing transition without requiring a complex one-piece design. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured using optimized processes while maintaining reliable sealing.
2Reliability
If a one-piece design is used, then the sealing is improved, but the manufacturing cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The conduit is produced by extrusion in a continuous process, allowing sections of desired length to be cut to length before the coupling body is formed. This preliminary preparation enables more efficient production compared to creating everything in a single complex molding process, while the overmolding step subsequently ensures reliable sealing.
3Productivity
If conduit sections are cut to length after extrusion, then the productivity is improved, but the manufacturing precision may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The extrusion process produces conduit in continuous lengths with controlled dimensions. By adjusting extrusion parameters and using precision cutting methods, the desired length precision is achieved while maintaining the productivity benefits of continuous production and the flexibility to produce sections of various lengths.
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 solution enables a cost-effective and reliable production of connection devices with improved sealing and fluid flow, preventing dead spaces and bacterial growth, while maintaining the stability and effectiveness of negative pressure wound therapy.
Implementation Method 1
The coupling body is then formed by overmolding onto an end portion of the conduit
Implementation Method 2
the coupling body is made of an elastomeric, flexible material
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
The invention relates to a connection device (2) for use in negative pressure therapy for wounds, comprising flexible conducting means (4) to which negative pressure and/or fluid media can be applied and which have at least two lumen (28, 30), and comprise a coupling body (6) that is connected to said conducting means, said coupling body (6) can be applied to a negative pressure dressing which covers the wound and seals it off from the atmosphere, and said conducting means (4) communicating with the space containing the wound via at least one opening (32). The connection device is characterised in that said coupling body is made from a flexible elastomer material which is non-removably injection-moulded on a wound-side end section (8) of the conducting means (4), and in that to further develop the coupling body (6), an end cap (26) is attached to the injected material and preferably secured so as to be non-removable, such that the coupling body (6) is sealed off from the surrounding environment.