Pivoting Connector Coupling Assembly for Secure IV Retention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional couplers used in medical IV setups are prone to dislodgement due to improper securement and can release under relatively low pullout forces, leading to unintended interruption of medical fluid administration, with a reported 10% dislodgement rate for peripheral IV catheters translating to approximately 33 million incidents annually in the U.S.
Innovation Solution
A coupler assembly featuring radially biased retaining fingers and a pivotally coupled connector system that engages a collar to prevent axial motion and includes a spring mechanism to decouple under high pullout forces, ensuring secure retention while allowing intentional removal, thereby preventing accidental disconnection and leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional couplers are used to secure connectors, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability is poor due to improper securement and dislodgement under normal forces
Solution Approach 1:
The coupler body is segmented into multiple retaining fingers that can independently engage with the connector collar. Each finger acts as a separate retention element, providing distributed securement points that increase reliability without requiring a completely complex new structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining fingers are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing them to dynamically adjust and engage with the connector collar. This dynamic engagement mechanism provides more reliable retention compared to static conventional couplers.
2Reliability
If the coupler is designed to prevent dislodgement under all forces, then the reliability improves, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to inability to intentionally remove connectors
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling mechanism uses a spring-loaded finger system where the engagement force parameter can be dynamically changed. Under normal conditions, the spring maintains strong engagement to prevent accidental disconnection. When sufficient force is applied intentionally, the spring compresses and releases the engagement, allowing connector removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining fingers transition between engaged and disengaged states based on applied force. This dynamic behavior automatically distinguishes between accidental forces (maintaining engagement) and intentional removal forces (allowing disengagement), resolving the contradiction between security and operability.
3Force
If the coupler uses simple retention mechanisms, then the device complexity is low, but the force resistance is insufficient leading to dislodgement under pullout forces
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of a single retention point, the coupler uses multiple segmented retaining fingers distributed around the connector collar. This segmentation distributes the pullout force across multiple engagement points, significantly increasing total force resistance without requiring a proportionally complex mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining fingers combine multiple functions: radial engagement for retention, axial movement for force absorption, and spring loading for consistent contact pressure. This merging of functions into a single integrated mechanism achieves high force resistance without proportional increase in overall complexity.
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 coupler assembly effectively secures medical fluid connectors, preventing unintended dislodgement and leakage by maintaining fluid communication under normal forces and automatically shutting off fluid flow when high pullout forces are applied, thus reducing the risk of medical fluid spillage and ensuring continuous administration.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of first retaining fingers disposed adjacent to the first end and extending radially inward into the cavity, wherein the plurality of first retaining fingers are radially biased inward toward the cavity and configured to engage against a collar of the first connector to prevent axial motion
Implementation Method 2
a mounting aperture defined between a free end of each first retaining finger and the wall, the mounting aperture configured to receive a pivot shaft of the collar of the first connector to pivotally couple the first connector relative to a central axis of the coupler body
Data Source
AI summary
A coupler may include a coupler body including a first end, a second end, an outer surface, an inner surface defining a cavity, and a wall defined between the inner and outer surfaces, a plurality of first retaining fingers disposed adjacent to the first end and extending radially inward into the cavity, and a mounting aperture defined between a free end of each first retaining finger and the wall. The cavity may be configured to receive a first connector and a second connector. The plurality of first retaining fingers may be radially biased inward toward the cavity and configured to engage against a collar of the first connector to prevent axial motion of the first connector relative to the coupler. The mounting aperture may be configured to receive a pivot shaft of the collar to pivotally couple the first connector relative to a central axis of the coupler body.