Individually Sealed Antiseptic Applicators for IV Ports
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Solution Overview
Problem
Healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) from microorganisms introduced through intravenous (IV) lines, particularly at injection ports, pose a significant risk of colonization and infection, and existing solutions do not adequately address the need for effective cleaning and antimicrobial protection of these surfaces.
Innovation Solution
Individually sealed medical applicators and cap devices containing antimicrobial compositions, such as those with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), ethanol, and hydrogen peroxide, are designed to reduce microbial contamination by providing a disinfecting agent and a lasting barrier against infection, with configurations suitable for various medical connectors and ports.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cleaning caps with cleaning agents are used to clean IV port surfaces, then microbial contamination is reduced, but the caps must be irreversibly opened which compromises their reusability and storage efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nesting by placing multiple caps within a common housing structure. Each cap is individually sealed and can be removed from the housing, allowing compact storage of multiple cleaning caps while maintaining their individual integrity and reusability. This resolves the contradiction by enabling storage efficiency without requiring irreversible opening of individual caps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the cleaning system into separate, independently sealed caps that can be individually removed from a common housing. Each cap contains its own cleaning agent and can be used separately, allowing the system to maintain reliability through individual cap protection while improving storage efficiency through the modular housing structure.
2Productivity
If multiple caps are stored together for efficient storage, then storage efficiency improves, but cross-contamination between caps may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent stores multiple caps within a common housing where each cap is individually sealed. This nesting arrangement allows efficient storage of multiple caps in a compact space while the individual seals prevent cross-contamination between caps, resolving the contradiction between storage efficiency and contamination prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The common housing acts as an intermediary structure that facilitates efficient storage while the individual seals on each cap serve as mediators that prevent cross-contamination. This dual-layer approach allows caps to be stored together efficiently while maintaining isolation to prevent harmful cross-contamination.
3Reliability
If cleaning agents are applied to clean IV ports, then disinfection effectiveness improves, but residual chemicals may remain on the port surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable cleaning caps that are discarded after a single use. This ensures that cleaning agents are applied effectively for disinfection while eliminating the risk of chemical residues remaining on the IV port, as each cap is used once and then disposed of, preventing any potential contamination from reused caps.
4Ease of manufacture
If caps are designed to be reusable after cleaning, then cost effectiveness improves, but complete sterilization between uses cannot be guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses disposable caps that are discarded after single use, eliminating the need for complex sterilization processes between uses. This approach ensures complete sterilization assurance through proper disposal while maintaining cost effectiveness through simple cap design and manufacturing, resolving the contradiction between reusability and sterilization assurance.
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 antimicrobial compositions effectively disinfect and create a lasting barrier against bacterial, fungal, and viral contamination, reducing the risk of HAIs by maintaining antimicrobial properties even after volatile constituents evaporate, and providing a visual indication of contamination for user awareness.
Implementation Method 1
an antimicrobial composition, such as those with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), ethanol, and hydrogen peroxide, are designed to reduce microbial contamination
Implementation Method 2
maintaining antimicrobial properties even after volatile constituents evaporate
Data Source
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AI summary
This disclosure describes example applicators and cap devices which may be used in combination with one or more cleansing, antimicrobial and/or antiseptic agents to reduce or eliminate contaminates on a surface. According to some embodiments, the disclosure describes a first cap which may be stored within a cavity of a second cap to create a dual cap device. According to some embodiments, both caps of the dual cap device may be individually sealed with a protective film. According to some embodiments, either a single cap device or a dual cap device may be attached to a flexible substrate by a surface other than the surface having the cavity opening.