Printable Electrical Component on Fluid Line for Hygienic Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical sensors used in dialysis devices face challenges in meeting hygiene requirements due to time-consuming disinfection processes, which can compromise patient safety, and indirect measurement methods require more precise sensors with complex and costly designs.
Innovation Solution
A printable electrical component with a plastic substrate, using dried conductive ink comprising silver and/or gold, featuring feather-like, meander-like, or spiral-shaped sections, is applied to the outside of fluid lines, enabling direct or indirect measurement of fluid properties without the need for direct contact, thus reducing disinfection time and ensuring hygiene while maintaining precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensors are applied directly onto fluid lines for direct measurement, then measurement precision is improved, but hygiene requirements are compromised due to time-consuming disinfection processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a transparent or translucent fluid line as an intermediary medium. The sensor is applied to the outer surface of the fluid line, measuring parameters through the line wall without direct contact with the fluid. This intermediary approach maintains measurement precision while eliminating direct contamination risks and reducing disinfection requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs thin-walled transparent or translucent fluid lines that allow sensor signals to pass through while providing physical separation. The thin film structure enables indirect measurement with sufficient signal transmission, resolving the contradiction between direct contact measurement and hygiene requirements.
2Reliability
If sensors are applied from outside onto flexible elements for indirect measurement, then hygiene requirements are improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to indirect measurement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses thin-walled transparent or translucent fluid lines that minimize signal attenuation while providing necessary physical separation. The optimized wall thickness and material selection ensure that indirect measurement precision approaches direct measurement accuracy, while maintaining hygiene benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes parameters such as fluid line wall thickness, material transparency, and sensor positioning to minimize measurement error in indirect measurement configurations. By adjusting these parameters, the system achieves high measurement precision without direct fluid contact.
3Reliability
If complex design measures are implemented to prevent incorrect measurements, then measurement reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the fluid line itself as a standardized intermediary component with built-in optical or physical properties that prevent incorrect measurements. This approach simplifies the overall design by relying on the inherent characteristics of the fluid line rather than adding complex protective mechanisms.
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 solution allows for precise, hygienic, and cost-effective measurement of medical parameters, improving patient safety by reducing disinfection time and eliminating the need for complex designs, while maintaining the accuracy of direct measurement methods.
Implementation Method 1
the electrical component comprises a dried conductive ink, wherein the dried conductive ink comprises silver and/or gold
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a medical device comprising a printable electrical component (1), the printable electrical component (1) comprising a plastic substrate (L1) wherein at least electrical component (E) is applied to the plastic substrate, wherein the electrical component (E) comprises a dried conductive ink, wherein the plastic substrate is selected from the group comprising polycarbonate, cycloolefin copolymers, polymethylacrylate, polypropylene and wherein the dried conductive ink comprise silver and/or gold, wherein the electrical component (E) comprises feather-like and/or meander-like and/or spiral-shaped sections, whereby the medical device further comprises a fluid line, wherein the printable electrical component is located on the outside of the fluid line. The invention also relates to a medical device comprising a printable electrical component (1) the printable electrical component (1) comprising a plastic substrate (L1), wherein at least one electrical component (E) is applied to the plastic substrate, wherein the electrical component (E) comprises a dried conductive ink, wherein the plastic substrate is selected from a group comprising polycarbonate, cycloolefin copolymers, polymethyl-methacrylate, polypropylene and wherein the dried, conductive ink comprises silver and/or gold, wherein the electrical component (E) comprises at least one conductor section or at least two electrodes, characterized in that the electrical component (E) is part of an expansion sensor and/or a pressure sensor and/or a thermal flow sensor.