Peritoneal Shunt With Manual Backup Pump
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing peritoneal shunt devices for draining ascites fluid face issues with battery life due to continuous operation, and are prone to blockages that require active pressure variations to clear, posing health risks if the pump fails.
Innovation Solution
A peritoneal shunt device with an electronic pump and a manual pump, utilizing passive pressure-driven flow and periodic bolus creation to clear blockages, combined with a one-way valve system to manage fluid flow and prevent backflow, allowing for extended battery life and manual intervention when needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the electronic pump is continuously activated to drain fluid, then the drainage function is reliable, but the battery life diminishes rapidly
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic pump operates intermittently rather than continuously, creating periodic bolus flows to clear blockages while maintaining drainage reliability. The system alternates between passive drainage mode and active pump activation, reducing overall energy consumption while ensuring functional reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes passive pressure-driven flow to perform the primary drainage function without continuous pump activation. The patient's own physiological pressure gradients drive fluid flow through the shunt, eliminating the need for continuous electronic pump operation and extending battery life.
2Reliability
If the pump is activated to clear blockages, then blockage prevention is effective, but energy is consumed unnecessarily during normal flow
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic pump activates periodically to create bolus flows that clear blockages, rather than operating continuously. This periodic activation maintains effective blockage prevention while minimizing energy consumption during periods when passive flow is sufficient.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces continuous mechanical pump operation with periodic mechanical action combined with passive pressure-driven flow. The intermittent pump activations substitute for continuous mechanical work, reducing energy consumption while maintaining blockage prevention effectiveness.
3Reliability
If varying pressures are produced to clear blockages, then blockage clearance is achieved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and isolates the pressure variation function to a simple manual squeeze bulb device, separating it from the main electronic pump system. This allows blockage clearance through pressure variation without requiring complex integrated pressure control mechanisms in the electronic pump.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual squeeze bulb acts as an intermediary device that provides pressure variation for blockage clearance without requiring the electronic pump to perform this function. This intermediary mechanism simplifies the main pump system while maintaining effective blockage clearance capability.
4Extent of automation
If the electronic pump is used alone, then automation is high, but reliability decreases when battery fails
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates a manual squeeze bulb as a backup mechanism that can be activated beforehand if the electronic pump fails. This prior preparation ensures continuous operation reliability by providing an alternative method for creating pressure-driven flow and clearing blockages.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows transition between different operational modes - automated electronic pump operation under normal conditions, and manual squeeze bulb operation when battery power is depleted or the electronic pump fails. This parameter change in operational mode maintains reliability while preserving high automation during normal operation.
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 device effectively drains ascites fluid passively while preventing blockages, extending battery life and ensuring continuous operation without the need for constant pump activation, reducing health risks by enabling manual backup in case of electronic pump failure.
Implementation Method 1
During drainage operation, a fluid is passively pressure-driven through the shunt
Implementation Method 2
The electronic pump moves the bolus of fluid as a pressure wave of the fluid flowing through the shunt at a greater pressure than the fluid being pressure-driven through the shunt
Implementation Method 3
A one-way valve is fluidly coupled to the second catheter and configured to inhibit a back-flow of the fluid from the bladder through the second catheter
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A shunt for draining fluid including a first catheter, an electronic pump fluidly coupled to the first catheter, a manual pump fluidly coupled to the electronic pump, a second catheter fluidly coupled to the manual pump. During a drainage operation, the shunt arranged and configured such that a fluid is passively pressure-driven through the shunt, and the electronic pump is arranged to prevent blockages within the shunt by flowing a bolus of the fluid through the shunt. Additionally, the manual pump is arranged to prevent blockages within the shunt by flowing a bolus of the fluid through the shunt in the event that the electronic pump cannot produce a bolus of the fluid.