Portable Rack for Infusion Devices with Segmented Power

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Solution Overview

Problem

Infusion devices face challenges in maintaining a reliable and durable power supply when removed from the infusion station, and there is a need for a portable solution that allows easy handling and movement within healthcare environments.

Innovation Solution

A portable rack designed to hold and power infusion devices, featuring a housing with slots, a clamp for mounting on poles or rails, and a handle for manual transport, providing a centralized power supply without communication links, enabling the transport of two infusion modules, such as volumetric or syringe pumps, while maintaining their performance on battery power.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the entire infusion station is moved with the patient, then power supply and communication are maintained, but the device becomes cumbersome and difficult to move

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower supply reliabilityVSAvoidmobility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The infusion station is segmented into a portable rack component that can be separated from the main station. This portable rack contains only the essential power supply and mounting functions, allowing it to be moved independently with the patient while the main station remains stationary. The segmentation resolves the contradiction by providing a mobile unit that maintains power supply reliability without requiring movement of the entire cumbersome station.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If the infusion device is removed from the infusion station, then mobility is improved, but power supply reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovemobilityVSAvoidpower supply reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The portable rack serves as an intermediary device between the infusion device and the main infusion station. It provides a mobile platform with integrated power supply that can accompany the patient during transfers between wards or services. The rack acts as a mediator that maintains continuous power supply to the infusion device during mobility, resolving the contradiction between mobility and power supply reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If a portable rack is designed to hold multiple infusion devices, then functionality is improved, but weight increases making it harder to transport

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of infusion devices heldVSAvoidportable rack weight

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The portable rack is designed with dynamic configurability, allowing users to adjust the number of slots activated based on the actual number of infusion devices being transported. The rack can accommodate one or two infusion devices, and users can selectively engage only the necessary slots and power connections. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by providing versatility when needed while minimizing weight and complexity when fewer devices are required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS20230166024A1Portable rack for infusion devices

Publication Date: 2023.06.01 FRESENIUS VIAL

AI summary

The invention relates to portable rack (20) for holding infusion devices (2) for administering a medical fluid to a patient, comprising: a housing (21) with a multiplicity of slots (100) wherein the infusion devices (2) can be attached to said multiplicity of slots (100), a clamp (27) for mounting the rack (20) to a pole and/or a rail, and a handle (22) for manually transporting the rack (20).