Pneumatic Tourniquet With Rigid Layer For Rapid Pressure Application
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tourniquets require significant time to apply pressure, risking excessive blood loss and potential tissue damage, and are inefficient in mass casualty situations where rapid application is necessary.
Innovation Solution
An inflatable tourniquet device comprising an elastic layer and a rigid layer, connected via a hole for gas passage, with an inlet for rapid inflation using a filling material container and activation module, allowing for quick application and reattachment, featuring a foldable and adjustable strap design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a simple tourniquet made from a stick and rope is used, then the device is easy to manufacture and operate, but it requires significant time (1-2 minutes) to apply pressure and may cause tissue damage if too tight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs pneumatic inflation through a gas cylinder to rapidly inflate the elastic layer, enabling the tourniquet to be applied in seconds rather than minutes. The gas delivery system with valve and hose delivers pressurized gas to inflate the elastic layer quickly, resolving the time constraint while maintaining ease of operation through simple activation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and pressure parameters by using pressurized gas to inflate the elastic layer to controlled pressure levels. This allows rapid application with adjustable pressure parameters, enabling quick deployment while preventing excessive tightness that causes tissue damage
2Device complexity
If a simple tourniquet made from a stick and rope is used, then the device structure is simple, but it requires significant time to apply pressure and risks excessive blood loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the tourniquet into distinct functional components: elastic layer for pressure application, rigid layer for structural support, gas cylinder for inflation, valve for control, and hose for gas delivery. This segmentation allows each component to perform its function efficiently, enabling rapid application while keeping the overall device relatively simple and modular
Solution Approach 2:
The gas cylinder is pre-charged with pressurized gas before use, and the tourniquet components are pre-assembled in a compact configuration. This preliminary preparation allows the device to be deployed rapidly when needed, reducing application time while maintaining manageable complexity through pre-integrated components
3Productivity
If the elastic layer is inflated to apply pressure quickly, then blood loss is reduced, but tissue damage may occur if the pressure is too high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a valve mechanism that allows controlled inflation and pressure regulation. The valve enables the operator to monitor and adjust the pressure level during inflation, providing feedback control to achieve effective blood flow limitation while preventing excessive pressure that would cause tissue damage
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic layer is designed with specific material properties and thickness to distribute pressure evenly across the contact surface. The combination of elastic and rigid layers creates a pressure distribution profile that achieves effective occlusion while minimizing localized excessive pressure points that could cause tissue damage
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
Enables rapid application of pressure to limit blood flow, reducing blood loss and tissue damage, with the ability to be reattached and folded for convenience, suitable for use on various body parts.
Implementation Method 1
A source of filling material is connectable to the inlet to provide gas into the elastic layer via a hole in the rigid layer or a hole in the elastic layer
Implementation Method 2
The elastic layer is inflatable, and having an internal side and an external side, the internal side is configured to be in proximity to the body tissue
Data Source
AI summary
A device to apply pressure to a body tissue of a body part in order to limit the flow of blood in the body tissue, the device having an inflatable elastic layer having an internal side and an external side, the internal side configured to be in proximity to the body tissue, a rigid layer attached to the external side of the elastic layer limits an inflation direction of the elastic layer towards the body tissue, an inlet provided through a hole in the rigid layer or the elastic layer, a source of filling material connectable to the inlet to provide filling material into the elastic layer, where the source of filling material may be provided from a filling material container.