Pressure-Actuated Flow Control Valve for IV Backflow and Under-Infusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
IV sets with secondary lines experience under-infusion and backflow issues due to check valve failures, often caused by debris and pressure differentials, leading to improper drug delivery and potential contamination.
Innovation Solution
A flow control device with a housing and a valve member that blocks fluid communication between primary and secondary lines based on pressure differentials, preventing backflow and under-infusion by translating the valve member within the chamber to seal appropriate ports.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a check valve is positioned in the primary line to prevent backflow, then backflow prevention is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to frequent failure from debris and pressure differentials
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the flow control function into two separate valves: a check valve in the primary line for backflow prevention and a flow control valve in the secondary line for flow regulation. This segmentation allows each valve to specialize in its specific function, improving overall reliability by preventing the flow control valve from interfering with the check valve's backflow prevention capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a flow control valve as an intermediary component in the secondary line that regulates flow before it can affect the primary line. This intermediary prevents pressure differentials and debris from causing check valve failure, thereby maintaining reliable backflow prevention without compromising secondary line flow control.
2Ease of operation
If manual flow regulation is used in IV sets, then ease of operation is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to time-consuming manual adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The flow control valve is designed to automatically regulate secondary line flow based on pressure differentials between the primary and secondary lines. The valve self-adjusts to maintain proper flow rates without requiring manual intervention, thereby improving infusion efficiency while maintaining ease of operation through automatic functionality.
3Reliability
If a flow control device is added to prevent under-infusion and backflow, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines the check valve and flow control valve into a single integrated flow control device assembly that can be incorporated into the IV set. This merging approach maintains the reliability benefits of having both valves while reducing overall device complexity compared to using separate, un integrated components.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If check valve closes completely to prevent backflow, then backflow prevention is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to under-infusion when pressure differential is low
Solution Approach 1:
The flow control valve is designed with dynamic adjustment capability that responds to pressure differentials between the primary and secondary lines. When pressure differential is high, the valve restricts flow to prevent backflow; when pressure differential is low, the valve opens to allow proper infusion flow. This dynamic behavior prevents both backflow and under-infusion conditions.
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
Prevents backflow and under-infusion, ensuring proper drug delivery, reducing component count and cost, and eliminating the need for manual flow regulation, while maintaining equal drug administration without contamination.
Implementation Method 1
a valve member reciprocally mounted in the chamber to (i) block fluid communication between the secondary inlet and the secondary outlet when fluid pressure into the primary inlet is higher than fluid pressure into the secondary inlet
Data Source
AI summary
A flow control device includes a housing having a primary valve body defining a primary inlet and an outlet, a secondary valve body defining a secondary inlet and a chamber defined by an inner circumferential surface of the housing and fluidly connecting the primary and secondary inlets with the outlet. The primary and secondary inlets share a common central axis perpendicularly disposed to a central axis of the outlet. A valve member is reciprocally mounted in the chamber to block fluid communication between the secondary inlet and the outlet when fluid pressure into the primary inlet is higher than fluid pressure into the secondary inlet, and block fluid communication between the primary inlet and the outlet when fluid pressure into the secondary inlet is higher than fluid pressure into the primary inlet.