Fluid Pump Assembly Retractable Loading Guides Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fluid handling devices, such as infusion pumps, require manual and often error-prone setup processes, which can lead to safety hazards and malfunctions due to improper alignment and obstruction issues during the loading of disposable cassettes, increasing the risk of injury or death.
Innovation Solution
A fluid delivery system with a control interface and retractable loading guides that facilitate easy and error-free insertion of a fluid pump assembly, featuring tabs and channels for alignment and a user-controlled lever mechanism to ensure proper mating and visibility during the insertion process, reducing the need for manual alignment and enhancing safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If manual threading and alignment of tubing into mechanical drive elements is required, then the pump mechanism can be simple in structure, but the setup process becomes time-consuming and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-alignment through the interaction of the flat surface on the cassette with the corresponding flat surface in the pump housing, and the cam mechanism automatically engages with the slot during insertion, eliminating the need for manual threading and alignment by the user
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical threading process is replaced by a spring-loaded cam mechanism that automatically engages with a slot on the cassette during insertion, transforming the manual alignment task into an automated mechanical engagement process
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a door mechanism is used to envelope the disposable cassette into housing, then the system is protected from external contaminants, but the caregiver cannot view or inspect the system for proper operation
Solution Approach 1:
The housing front wall is made of transparent material allowing visibility of the cassette and internal components while maintaining the protective enclosure, replacing the opaque door mechanism with a transparent barrier that serves both protection and inspection functions
Solution Approach 2:
The front wall is designed to be movable or removable to allow access for cassette replacement while maintaining visibility during operation, enabling the structure to adapt between protected operation mode and maintenance access mode
3Manufacturing precision
If careful alignment of the cassette to pump features is required, then the mechanical interface can be precise, but new complications and safety hazards are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cassette and pump housing feature asymmetric flat surfaces and cam-slot geometries that provide self-aligning characteristics during insertion, ensuring precise mechanical interface engagement without requiring the user to perform complex alignment procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The flat surfaces and cam mechanisms are pre-configured on the cassette and housing to automatically guide and align the components during the insertion process, performing the alignment action beforehand through the design geometry rather than requiring user intervention
4Device complexity
If the user must provide force to engage the mechanical interfaces manually, then the pump structure can be simple, but it becomes problematic when the pump is mounted on a mobile pole
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-loaded cam mechanism automatically provides the force needed to engage the mechanical interfaces with the cassette during insertion, eliminating the need for the user to manually apply force while stabilizing the mobile pump
5Device complexity
If conventional mechanically actuated clamps are used for anti-free flow prevention, then the mechanism can be simple, but they are prone to failure and have been common sources of recalls
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical clamp actuation system is replaced with a pneumatic or electronic actuated clamp that can be reliably controlled by the pump controller, substituting the unreliable manual mechanical system with a more reliable actuated system
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A fluid delivery system comprises: a control interface and multiple unique loading guides. The control interface of the fluid delivery system is configured to accept a fluid pump assembly. The multiple loading guides are retractable from the fluid delivery system to retain and control movement of a facing of the fluid pump assembly to contact the control interface on the facing of the fluid delivery system. In one configuration, the control interface is disposed in a cavity of the fluid delivery system; the multiple loading guides are disposed at locations in proximity to the cavity. The multiple loading guides can be configured to slidably retract in unison to support substantially orthogonal insertion of the fluid pump assembly into the cavity of the fluid delivery system.