Reusable Console with Disposable Cassettes for Medical Fluid Therapy
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical fluid treatment systems for renal replacement therapy are not specifically designed for both adult and pediatric use, requiring multiple tube connections and being time-consuming and error-prone, with a need for efficient, accurate, and flexible systems for different patient populations.
Innovation Solution
A modular system comprising a reusable console that can be used with various disposable cassettes, each configured for different therapies and fluid volumes, featuring actuators, pressure sensors, and electrical communication interfaces to control and monitor fluid flow, allowing for efficient and accurate delivery of medical fluid therapies across different patient populations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If current medical fluid treatment systems are used for both adult and pediatric patients, then the system can serve multiple patient populations, but the setup becomes time-consuming and error-prone due to multiple tube connections
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into a reusable console and disposable cassettes, where the cassette contains pre-configured fluid circuits and connections. This segmentation allows the complex connection setup to be pre-assembled in the factory, eliminating time-consuming bedside connections while maintaining adaptability through different cassette types for adult and pediatric patients
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid circuits, connections, and components are pre-assembled and pre-sterilized in the factory during cassette manufacturing. This preliminary action ensures that all connections are correctly configured before use, eliminating setup errors and reducing setup time at the patient bedside while maintaining versatility through different pre-configured cassette designs
2Ease of operation
If multiple tube connections are required for current systems, then fluid therapy can be delivered, but the setup becomes error-prone and contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple tube connections and fluid circuits are merged into a single pre-assembled cassette unit. All necessary connections, valves, and fluid paths are integrated and factory-tested as one complete system, eliminating the need for multiple separate connections at the bedside and thereby improving connection accuracy and reducing contamination risk while maintaining full fluid therapy functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses disposable cassettes that are single-use and pre-sterilized. Each cassette is a complete, pre-assembled unit with all necessary connections and components. After one use, the entire cassette is discarded, eliminating the need for complex cleaning and sterilization procedures and ensuring high reliability by preventing cross-contamination between patients
3Adaptability or versatility
If adult-approved devices are used for pediatric patients, then the system can treat different size patients, but the fluid volumes are not optimized for pediatric requirements
Solution Approach 1:
Different cassette designs are created with locally optimized fluid circuit dimensions, tube diameters, and chamber volumes specific to pediatric requirements. The reusable console remains the same, but the disposable cassettes are manufactured with pediatric-appropriate specifications, providing locally adapted quality for pediatric patients while maintaining system versatility
Data Source
AI summary
Systems relate to a reusable console system that can be used with a plurality of different types of disposable cassettes. The cassettes may be structured for different therapies, different fluid volumes, among others, or a combination thereof. The disposable cassette may include a plurality of fluid circuits. Each circuit may include a pump chamber disposed along the path. The disposable cassette and the panel of a console may be configured to mate so that each of the one or more actuators of the console align with a pump chamber of the disposable cassette. The console may be configured to control a flow of the fluid in the path in the cassette when the disposable cassette is mated on the panel. Because the console can be mated with different cassettes, the system can efficiently and accurately deliver different medical fluid therapies and/or different patient populations (e.g., pediatric and adult).