Removable Cap Assembly with Self-Sealing Membrane for Medical Fluid Evacuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current evacuated glass bottles used in medical settings for draining fluids are a safety hazard due to the risk of breakage and cannot be easily emptied or reused, leading to improper disposal of contents.
Innovation Solution
A removably attached cap assembly with a self-sealing membrane that allows for selective fluid communication, enabling the evacuation of the bottle while using a shatter-proof, medical-grade plastic material that can be sterilized, and facilitating the removal of the cap for safe handling and reuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a glass bottle with a permanently attached non-removable top is used, then the bottle can maintain vacuum integrity and seal properly, but the bottle becomes a safety hazard due to breakage risk and cannot be easily emptied or reused
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from glass to shatter-proof plastic, maintaining the vacuum sealing function while eliminating the breakage hazard. The plastic bottle body and cap assembly are designed to provide equivalent vacuum integrity without the fragility of glass.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the previously permanent cap-bottle structure into separable components. The cap assembly can be removed from the bottle body, allowing the bottle to be emptied, cleaned, and reused while maintaining vacuum integrity when the cap is attached.
2Reliability
If a glass bottle with a permanently attached non-removable top is used, then the vacuum seal is maintained, but the bottle cannot be easily emptied or reused leading to improper disposal
Solution Approach 1:
The cap assembly is designed as a separable component that can be removed from the bottle body. This allows the bottle to be easily emptied, cleaned, and reused, while the cap maintains the vacuum seal when attached. The segmentation enables both vacuum integrity and operational flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static permanent attachment to a dynamic removable connection. The cap can be attached to maintain vacuum seal or removed to allow emptying and reuse, providing operational flexibility while maintaining reliability when needed.
3Reliability
If a self-sealing membrane is used that seals after needle penetration, then fluid access is enabled, but the membrane must be held in place by a non-removable top limiting flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The self-sealing membrane is integrated into a removable cap assembly rather than a permanent top. This allows the membrane to maintain its self-sealing function while the cap can be removed when needed, providing both reliability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap assembly serves multiple functions: it holds the self-sealing membrane for fluid access, maintains vacuum seal when attached, and can be removed to allow bottle emptying and reuse. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between sealing reliability and operational flexibility.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If shatter-proof plastic material is used instead of glass, then safety hazard is reduced, but the bottle structure must be redesigned with removable cap assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The material change from glass to shatter-proof plastic is accompanied by a structural redesign of the cap assembly. The plastic material allows for integration of the self-sealing membrane and removable cap design, with the complexity justified by the significant safety improvement.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap assembly uses composite construction with the self-sealing membrane integrated into the plastic cap structure. This composite approach enables the removable cap design while maintaining vacuum integrity and safety, with the membrane providing sealing and the plastic providing structural support.
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 provides a safer, more efficient, and environmentally friendly way to handle and dispose of medical fluids by allowing for the evacuation of bottles without breakage risks and enabling the reuse of the bottle and cap assembly after cleaning and sterilization.
Implementation Method 1
a membrane covering the opening of the bottle that is exposed externally and seals itself after the membrane is penetrated by a needle, cannula or other tubular instrument
Implementation Method 2
The cap defines a gap above the self-sealing membrane that allows selective displacement of the self-sealing membrane to draw fluid from the bottle to form a lower pressure or vacuum therein
Data Source
AI summary
A cap assembly including a self-sealing membrane that overlaps an opening to an interior of a container. The cap assembly further includes a cap having a cover portion that includes an annular wall that defines a central opening, and at least one evacuating opening located radially outward of the central opening. The cover portion defines a gap above the self-sealing membrane. The gap is configured to allow the self-sealing membrane to be at least partially displaced from the opening to allow fluid communication between the interior of the container and an outside atmosphere when a suction is applied to the cap.