Pressure Regulating Syringe with Integrated Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for measuring and regulating Intra-Cuff Pressure (ICP) in endotracheal tubes are inaccurate, cumbersome, and costly, leading to potential tracheal damage and increased risk of infection due to cross-contamination, as they require bulky devices and complex installation procedures, and often fail to maintain consistent pressure readings.
Innovation Solution
A compact, electronically controlled syringe with a differential pressure sensor and processing circuitry that provides accurate digital readings of ICP, allowing for simultaneous measurement and regulation, is designed to be user-friendly, inexpensive, and disposable, eliminating the need for additional installation procedures and minimizing manual force required.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a digital manometer is attached to the inlet valve of the cuff to measure ICP, then pressure measurement capability is provided, but the device becomes bulky and expensive, and additional conduit volume reduces pressure reading accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure sensor is integrated within the syringe barrel, nested inside the existing structure. The sensor detects pressure through the plunger rod without requiring external bulky devices, thus providing measurement capability while maintaining compactness and eliminating additional conduit volume that would compromise accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The syringe is designed to perform multiple functions: inflation, deflation, and pressure measurement all through a single integrated device. The pressure sensor within the syringe allows the same device used for fluid delivery to also serve as a measurement tool, eliminating the need for separate manometers
2Reliability
If battery or AC-powered pressure regulators with microcontrollers and pumps are used for continuous ICP control, then continuous pressure regulation is achieved, but the devices have significant volume and weight requiring additional conduit and installation procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The complex microcontroller and pump systems are extracted and replaced with a simpler pressure sensor integrated into the syringe. The sensor provides continuous pressure monitoring capability without requiring bulky power supplies, microcontrollers, or additional installation infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The syringe with integrated pressure sensor serves itself by providing both the measurement and control functions in one device. The pressure regulation is achieved through the syringe's own integrated sensor and mechanism without requiring external bulky regulatory devices or complex installation procedures
3Ease of operation
If an inflator bulb is used to manually pump air into the cuff, then ICP regulation is possible, but the added bulb volume causes ICP variation and unintentional air flow during attachment and detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The inflation mechanism and pressure measurement are merged into a single integrated syringe system. The plunger displacement directly controls both the fluid delivery and the pressure measurement, eliminating the separate inflator bulb that caused volume variations and measurement inaccuracies during attachment and detachment
Solution Approach 2:
The manual inflator bulb mechanical system is replaced with a syringe-based mechanical system that provides more precise control. The syringe plunger offers fine-adjustment capability and integrated pressure sensing that eliminates the sudden volume changes and air flow issues associated with bulb attachment and detachment
4Measurement precision
If a pressure sensor is mounted within the syringe barrel with a spring mechanism, then pressure indication is provided, but considerable force must be applied to the plunger to counteract spring force and friction
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical spring-based pressure indication system is replaced with an electronic pressure sensor that provides direct electrical signal output. This substitution eliminates the need for spring mechanisms that require considerable plunger force to counteract, while providing accurate pressure indication through electronic means
Solution Approach 2:
An electronic sensor acts as an intermediary between the pressure fluid and the indication system. Instead of direct mechanical spring compression, the sensor detects pressure changes and converts them to electrical signals for display, reducing the force requirement on the plunger while maintaining measurement precision
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 syringe offers precise, immediate, and accurate digital readings of ICP, reducing the risk of tracheal damage and infection by ensuring consistent pressure, while being lightweight and easy to use, with the ability to maintain pressure for extended periods and prevent cross-contamination.
Implementation Method 1
a differential pressure sensor having a first pressure port in fluid communication with the barrel assembly tip and a second pressure port in fluid communication with ambient pressure air
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4
AI summary
A pressure regulating syringe comprises a barrel assembly terminating with a tubular tip positionable in fluid communication with a fluid chamber, a plunger that is manually and axially displaceable within a barrel of the barrel assembly, a pressure sensor mounted onto the plunger adjacent to its distal end, for generating one or more electrical signals representative of a change in pressure within the fluid chamber, circuitry housed within the plunger for processing the generated signals, and a display mounted on the plunger for displaying an output indicative of the processed signals. The output is changeable upon axial displacement of the plunger when the tubular tip is positioned in fluid communication with the fluid chamber, which is for example a cuff surrounding a medical tube. Fluid is delivered by manually manipulating a fluid delivery element in response to the displayed output until a desired fluid delivery operation is performed.