Polymeric Wound Drainage System with Sealed Sampling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional glass vacuum bottles used in wound drainage systems are brittle, difficult to sample, and pose infection risks due to single access points, making them prone to breakage and venting, limiting access for medical professionals and delaying lab analysis.
Innovation Solution
A polymeric material-based drainage system with multiple closures and access points, including a Y-connector and needle-less valve, allowing sealed sampling and vacuum replenishment without disconnecting from the patient, and an accordion-style gauge for vacuum status indication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If glass bottles are used to maintain vacuum, then vacuum stability is improved, but brittleness and breakage risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from glass to polymeric material, maintaining the vacuum-sealed cavity function while improving impact resistance and safety. The polymeric material provides both vacuum stability and mechanical durability required for clinical use.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottle is constructed as a composite structure with a polymeric outer shell and an internal vacuum-sealed cavity, combining the benefits of material flexibility with vacuum maintenance capabilities.
2Reliability
If a single aperture is used in glass bottles, then vacuum sealing is improved, but sampling difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The single aperture is segmented into multiple separate access points: a first aperture for fluid sampling and a second aperture for vacuum replenishment. This allows independent access to the cavity contents and vacuum source without compromising the overall seal integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
A valve mechanism acts as an intermediary between the apertures and the cavity, controlling fluid and vacuum access while maintaining seal integrity when not in use.
3Ease of operation
If sharp piercing instruments are used to access glass bottles, then access is achieved, but safety hazards increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sharp mechanical piercing action is replaced with a valve-based opening mechanism that can be controlled without sharp instruments, eliminating the safety hazards associated with needle or blade use on glass containers.
4Ease of operation
If the entire bottle must be sent to the lab, then fluid sampling is achieved, but time loss and infection risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sampling function is extracted from the main bottle body through a dedicated first aperture with valve control, allowing fluid to be removed and sent to the lab while the bottle remains in place, eliminating transport delays and infection risks.
5Reliability
If glass bottles are used, then vacuum maintenance is improved, but weight and fragility increase
Solution Approach 1:
The material parameter is changed from dense glass to lighter polymeric material, reducing the weight of the bottle while maintaining the vacuum maintenance function through the sealed cavity design.
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 system provides a safer, more reliable, and efficient means of fluid drainage and sampling, reducing the risk of breakage and infection, enabling continuous use and easy lab analysis without moving the container, while maintaining structural integrity under high vacuum.
Implementation Method 1
The container (12) is configured for engagement with a tube (14) providing a drainage conduit from a patient and provides communication with a vacuum in an interior cavity (11) of the container
Data Source
Figure 1~1a
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A fluid drainage system is provided which is configured to engage with a drainage tube engaged with a drainage site with a patient. The container has an internal cavity with negative pressure to impart suction to the drainage tube and can be engaged to the drainage tube without loss of negative pressure during the process. Secondary containers may be engaged to restore negative pressure to the first container and remove fluid therefrom. Walls of the first container may be shaped to resist deflection due to high internal negative pressure.