Sealed Enclosure Cable Passage Flap for Decontamination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Enclosures used for disinfecting medical probes face challenges in maintaining a reliable seal when cables pass through the enclosure, allowing disinfection agents to escape.
Innovation Solution
A decontamination chamber with a movable closing flap in the cable passage, integrated with the door mechanism, ensures hermetic sealing, along with a cable suspension system and RFID tag reading for traceability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a cable passage is provided in the upper cover to allow the cable to pass through the enclosure, then the probe can be introduced into the enclosure and part of the cable can remain outside, but the tightness of the decontamination enclosure deteriorates as disinfection agents can escape through the passage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by providing a movable shutter (13) that can transition between open and closed positions. The shutter is carried by the cover and is movable between a closed position of the cable passage (12) and an open position of the cable passage. This dynamic element allows the enclosure to maintain hermetic sealing when the probe is not in use while allowing easy access when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by arranging the door (11) closure to automatically drive the movable shutter (13) towards its closed position. When the door is closed to seal the access opening, the shutter is automatically positioned to close the cable passage, ensuring hermetic sealing is established before the disinfection process begins.
2Ease of operation
If the cable passage is kept open to allow probe insertion, then ease of operation is improved, but disinfection agents escape through the passage reducing decontamination effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The movable shutter (13) transitions from an open state during probe insertion to a closed state during disinfection. The shutter is specifically designed to close the cable passage (12) hermetically when in the closed position, preventing disinfection agents from escaping while maintaining the ability to open for probe access.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically positions the shutter in the closed position before disinfection begins by coupling it with the door closure mechanism. This preliminary action ensures the cable passage is sealed prior to introducing disinfection agents, preventing their escape.
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
Guarantees a tight seal during disinfection, preventing agent leakage and ensuring proper disinfection and traceability of medical probes.
Implementation Method 1
the means for reading an electronic identification tag comprise a short-range RFID reader
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an enclosure of the type including a base (6), at least one side wall (7) and an upper lid (8) defining a decontamination volume (9), wherein one of said side walls (7) comprises an access opening (10) to the decontamination volume (9) extending up to the upper lid (8), the upper lid (8) including a cable passage (12) open towards said opening and a cable suspension member (14) across said cable passage. The enclosure includes a blocking flap (13) movable between a cable passage (12) closing position in which the flap (13) tightly closes the cable passage (12), and a cable passage (12) opening position.