Pressure Relief Vent for Sealed Medical Instruments

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Solution Overview

Problem

Sealed instruments like endoscopes are vulnerable to damage from pressure differentials during air transport, cleaning, and sterilization due to the need for manual attachment of pressure relief caps, which can be incorrectly installed, leading to potential damage from positive or negative pressure differentials.

Innovation Solution

A pressure relief vent system that can be continuously installed on sealed instruments, featuring a valve member and vent opening arrangement that automatically opens to relieve pressure differentials, with a biasing device to maintain the seal during normal operation and automatically open when pressure thresholds are exceeded, and includes a gas permeable membrane to prevent liquid ingress.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a sterilization cap is manually attached to a sealed port to facilitate pressure relief, then pressure relief is enabled, but the risk of incorrect installation and damage from pressure differentials increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepressure relief functionalityVSAvoidmanual attachment requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The pressure relief vent is designed to automatically respond to pressure differentials without requiring manual attachment or operation. The valve member self-activates when pressure differential exceeds the threshold, allowing the system to serve itself and eliminate the need for user intervention that could lead to incorrect installation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The pressure relief vent is pre-installed on the instrument body during manufacturing, rather than requiring attachment at the time of use. This preliminary action ensures the pressure relief functionality is already in place and correctly positioned before the instrument is subjected to pressure differentials during transport or sterilization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the instrument remains sealed during normal operation, then protection of internal components is improved, but vulnerability to damage from pressure differentials increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection of internal componentsVSAvoidpressure differential damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically changes the seal parameter by transitioning from a sealed state during normal operation to an open state when pressure differential exceeds the threshold. This parameter change allows the system to maintain protection during normal use while preventing damage from harmful pressure differentials

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The valve member acts as an intermediary between the sealed interior volume and the external environment. It maintains the seal during normal operation but opens to allow pressure equalization when harmful pressure differentials occur, thus mediating between the need for sealing and the need for pressure relief

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If a gas permeable membrane is used to prevent liquid ingress, then protection from liquid damage is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection from liquid ingressVSAvoidmembrane integration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A gas permeable membrane is used to provide selective permeability - allowing gas molecules to pass through while blocking liquid molecules. This thin film approach provides liquid protection without requiring complex mechanical structures, achieving protection through the inherent properties of the membrane material

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

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 continuous protection against damaging pressure differentials during normal operation, transport, and sterilization, automatically relieving pressure and preventing liquid entry into the instrument, thus ensuring the integrity of the instrument and simplifying the sterilization process.

Implementation Method 1

A pressure relief vent system that can be continuously installed on sealed instruments, featuring a valve member and vent opening arrangement that automatically responds to pressure differentials and includes a gas permeable membrane to prevent liquid ingress

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGas permeable membrane: Semipermeable Membrane

Data Source

PatentUS10791913B2Pressure relief vent for sealed instruments

Publication Date: 2020.10.06 KARL STORZ ENDOVISION INC

AI summary

A pressure control and leak test system for a medical instrument includes an upper housing, a valve member, and a vent opening arrangement. The upper housing includes a cavity for fluid communication with an interior of the medical instrument and an aperture in fluid communication with the cavity. The valve member includes a stem within the aperture and a cap section. The cap section includes a proximal-facing end with a bottom surface and a distal-facing end. The vent opening arrangement includes a first feature of the cap section and a second feature on the distal end of the upper housing. The valve member rotates relative to the housing causing the first feature and the second feature to seal the cap section with the housing in a first position and separate the cap section from the housing in a second position.