Oxygen Distributor With Permeable Tubes For Wound Healing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wound treatment methods face challenges in delivering oxygen to wounds while managing excessive exudate, which can slow healing and lead to maceration of surrounding skin, and require multiple sizes of oxygen distributors for different wound dimensions.
Innovation Solution
A hyperbaric oxygen distributor with oxygen-permeable and liquid-impermeable tubes allows oxygen delivery directly to the wound without covering it, enabling exudate drainage and flexibility in size adjustment by cutting, comprising a network of tubes with an oxygen delivery area and branching tubes to control oxygen distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a wound is covered with a dressing to deliver oxygen, then oxygen supply to the wound is improved, but exudate cannot drain freely leading to maceration of surrounding skin
Solution Approach 1:
The tube wall is made oxygen-permeable and liquid-impermeable, allowing oxygen to pass through while blocking exudate. This porous material structure enables selective permeability that resolves the contradiction between oxygen delivery and exudate drainage.
Solution Approach 2:
The distributor is divided into multiple separate tubes extending from a central oxygen delivery area. This segmentation allows oxygen to be distributed through multiple pathways while maintaining open spaces between tubes for exudate to drain freely away from the wound.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sizes of oxygen distributors are stocked for different wound dimensions, then adaptability to different wound sizes is improved, but device complexity and inventory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The distributor is designed to be cuttable, transforming it from a fixed-size component to a dynamically adjustable one. Users can cut the distributor to the required size to match different wound dimensions, eliminating the need to stock multiple pre-sized variants.
Solution Approach 2:
A single distributor design serves multiple wound sizes through cutting adaptation. The universal design with its tube network structure allows it to be trimmed and configured for various wound dimensions, making one size fit all applications.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the distributor is cut to reduce its size, then adaptability to smaller wounds is improved, but oxygen may escape and exudate may leak into the distributor
Solution Approach 1:
The distributor consists of multiple separate tubes rather than a continuous structure. When cut, only a small section of internal space is exposed, minimizing the risk of oxygen escape and exudate intrusion. The segmented tube design limits the impact of cutting on overall system integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The tube walls maintain their oxygen-permeable, liquid-impermeable properties after cutting. The material characteristics ensure that even when the distributor is trimmed to size, the tubes continue to function reliably in containing oxygen and excluding exudate.
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 effectively increases oxygen concentration at the wound site, promotes healing, and reduces scarring by allowing controlled oxygen distribution and exudate management, maintaining a beneficial therapeutic effect while minimizing the need for multiple sizes of distributors.
Implementation Method 1
at least a section or portion of the tube wall being oxygen-permeable and liquid-impermeable; oxygen delivered to the oxygen delivery area can flow away from the oxygen delivery area along the or each tube and permeate through the oxygen-permeable, liquid-impermeable portion of the tube wall
Data Source
AI summary
An oxygen distributor (1) positionable, in use, in a wound for supplying oxygen to the wound has an oxygen delivery area (17) for, in use, receiving a supply of oxygen. At least one tube (19A) extends from the oxygen delivery area, having a tube wall with an oxygen-permeable, liquid-impermeable section. Oxygen delivered to the oxygen delivery area can flow away from the oxygen delivery area along the, or each, tube.