Medical Pushbutton Valve Locking for One-Handed Continuous Suction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing medical pushbutton valves require continuous manual pressure to maintain suction, leading to operator fatigue and discomfort, especially during procedures requiring continuous suction where constant hand positioning is strenuous.

Innovation Solution

A medical pushbutton valve design featuring two closure bodies on the valve piston with conical transitions, allowing for parallel sealing and opening of the flow channel and ambient air, and a pin-slot control mechanism for easy locking of the spring-loaded pressure element, enabling one-handed operation and reducing the need for constant pressure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the valve body is pretensioned in the position that closes the suction channel using a spring element, then the valve can be compact and simple in structure, but the operator must constantly press the pressure element during the entire suction process leading to operator fatigue

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevalve structureVSAvoidoperator fatigue
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The valve body is pretensioned by a spring element into the position closing the suction channel before operation begins. This preliminary positioning allows the valve to start in a safe closed state and enables the operator to simply press once to open and lock, rather than maintaining continuous pressure throughout the suction process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the operator must constantly press the spring-loaded pressure element to maintain suction, then continuous suction can be ensured, but finger cramping and operator discomfort occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous suctionVSAvoidoperator discomfort
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The pressure element is designed to be rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the valve housing, transforming the static pressing action into a dynamic locking mechanism. The operator presses the pressure element to open the valve, then rotates it to engage a locking position where a projection on the pressure element fits into a groove in the valve housing, maintaining the open state without continuous manual pressure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If a locking mechanism with projection and groove is used to lock the pressure element, then one-handed operation becomes possible, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveone-handed operationVSAvoidlocking mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The locking mechanism is integrated into the existing valve structure by combining the rotatable pressure element with a projection-groove feature. The projection on the pressure element and the groove in the valve housing form a simple interlocking system that enables one-handed operation without requiring separate locking components or complex mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 design allows for fatigue-free, one-handed operation by ensuring the valve can be locked in a position that fully opens the flow channel, providing continuous suction without the need for constant manual pressure, thus reducing operator fatigue and improving operational efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

a spring element (13) acting on the pressure element (9) via which the pressure element (9) and thus also the valve piston (4) are pretensioned into the position closing the flow channel (3)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpring: Spring

Implementation Method 2

The closure bodies of the valve piston are designed as thickenings of the valve piston with conical transition regions. The conical design of the closure bodies prevents the flow channel from being suddenly closed or opened when the valve piston is adjusted. Slow opening and closing of the flow channel is possible due to the conicity of the closure body.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConical geometry: Geometry

Data Source

PatentEP3417906B1Medical push key valve
Publication Date: 2022.03.09 KARL STORZ SE & CO KG
  • EP3417906B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP3417906B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP3417906B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a medical pushbutton valve (1) with a valve housing (2), a flow channel (3) formed in the valve housing (2) and with a valve piston (4) which is positioned between a flow channel (3) releasing and a flow channel ( 3) is displaceably arranged in the valve housing (2) in the closing position, the valve piston (4) being operatively connected to a pressure element (9) which is mounted on the valve housing (2) and is spring-loaded via at least one spring element (13), and the valve piston (4) via the spring-loaded pressure element (9) is pretensioned in the position closing the flow channel (3) and the spring-loaded pressure element (9) can be locked in at least one position in which the valve piston (4) which is operatively connected to the pressure element (9) opens the flow channel ( 3) at least partially releases. In order to create a medical pushbutton valve (1) that enables simple and fatigue-free one-handed operation, it is proposed according to the invention that, viewed in the direction of the longitudinal axis (10) of the valve housing (2), two closure bodies (15 and 16 ) are formed which cooperate with corresponding valve seats (17 and 18).