Pre-Filled Infusion Set Packaging to Eliminate Manual Venting
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Solution Overview
Problem
The preparation of infusion sets is laborious, time-consuming, and physically demanding for medical staff, particularly in high-demand hospital settings, posing risks such as air bubbles and contamination, and exacerbating staff shortages and time pressures.
Innovation Solution
An infusion system with a pre-filled infusion set packaged in a sterile package, minimizing manual filling and venting, requiring only connection to an infusion container and a final check, reducing preparation time and human error.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual filling and venting of infusion sets is performed, then the infusion set can be prepared for use, but preparation time and physical effort increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The infusion set is pre-filled with infusion fluid and pre-vented during the packaging process before sterile sealing. This preliminary action eliminates the need for manual filling and venting operations by medical staff, directly resolving the contradiction by maintaining ease of operation while dramatically reducing preparation time.
2Productivity
If manual filling and venting operations are performed frequently, then infusion sets can be prepared, but physical strain on medical staff increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process performs filling and venting operations in advance during packaging, transferring the physical effort from medical staff to automated manufacturing equipment. This enables high productivity without imposing physical strain on operators who must repeatedly handle heavy infusion containers.
3Productivity
If rapid preparation of multiple infusion sets is required, then time pressure increases, but the risk of air bubbles and contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The infusion sets are pre-filled and pre-vented under controlled manufacturing conditions, ensuring proper air removal and sterile sealing before delivery to the clinical setting. This allows rapid deployment of multiple infusion sets without compromising patient safety, as the critical safety-critical steps have already been performed correctly during manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-filled, pre-vented infusion sets are designed to be ready-for-use with minimal manual intervention required. The system essentially prepares itself during manufacturing, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual preparation steps that could introduce errors or contamination risks.
4Productivity
If more infusion sets are prepared in advance, then availability improves, but the risk of human error increases
Solution Approach 1:
Critical preparation steps including filling, venting, and sterile sealing are performed during automated manufacturing rather than manual preparation. This transfers the preparation process from human operators prone to error to automated systems with consistent, repeatable processes, enabling high-volume preparation without increasing error rates.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
An infusion system (30) according to the invention comprises an infusion set (2) and a packaging (32) in which the infusion set (2) is sterilely packaged and pre-filled with an infusion fluid (14).