Kink-Resistant Medical Tubing With Segmented Wire Reinforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing medical tubing struggle to produce thin-walled, kink-resistant tubing with drainage holes without compromising the integrity of wire or braid reinforcement, as incorporating holes can lead to breaks or debris that reduce column and hoop strength and create hazardous conditions.
Innovation Solution
A method involving coating a wire with plastic and winding it around a mandrel to form a wire-reinforced sheath, where non-wire containing sections are identified using light transmission detection to drill holes safely, avoiding the wire reinforcement and ensuring the tubing remains kink-resistant and thin-walled.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If drainage holes are added to extruded tubing by drilling or puncturing, then drainage function is improved, but the tubing wall thickness cannot be made very thin and kink-resistance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure with an inner tube made of soft flexible material (e.g., polyurethane) and an outer tube made of stiffer material (e.g., polyethylene or polypropylene). This composite construction allows the inner tube to provide flexibility and drainage holes while the outer tube provides kink-resistance and structural strength, resolving the contradiction between thin-walled flexibility and kink-resistance.
2Strength
If wire or braid reinforcement is incorporated into tubing to improve kink-resistance, then structural strength is improved, but it becomes difficult to incorporate drainage holes without severing the reinforcement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the reinforcement structure into discrete wire or braid coils positioned at specific locations (typically at the ends of the tubing) rather than continuous reinforcement throughout. This segmentation allows the middle section of the tubing to remain free of reinforcement, enabling easy incorporation of drainage holes without risking damage to wire or braid, while still providing kink-resistance at the reinforced ends.
3Strength
If continuous wire or braid reinforcement is used throughout the tubing, then kink-resistance is improved, but the risk of wire breaks and debris formation increases when drilling holes
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement is divided into discrete segments or coils located at specific positions (e.g., ends of the tubing) rather than continuous reinforcement. This creates wire-free zones in the middle section where drainage holes can be safely drilled without risk of wire breaks, debris formation, or surface disruptions, while still maintaining kink-resistance at the reinforced ends.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies reinforcement locally at specific locations (ends of tubing) rather than uniformly throughout. The middle section is deliberately left without wire or braid reinforcement, creating a distinct local quality difference that allows safe hole drilling in the wire-free zone while maintaining structural strength where reinforcement is present.
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
This approach allows for the efficient and cost-effective production of kink-resistant medical tubing with drainage holes, maintaining the structural integrity of the wire reinforcement and preventing potential hazards from debris or broken ends.
Implementation Method 1
The wound coated wire is heated until the plastic material of the wire melts and bonds the windings
Implementation Method 2
non-wire containing sections are identified using light transmission detection
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a kink-resistant tube having drainage holes is provided. A wire is coated with plastic material and wound around a mandrel forming a plurality of windings. The wound coated wire is heated until the plastic coating material melts and bonds the wire windings to form a wire-reinforced sheath having wire-containing sections and non-wire containing sections. Alternatively, a coated or non-coated wire is wound around a mandrel together with separate polymer filament material and then heated. A filament having an elongated cross-section may be employed with the major axis of the elongated cross-section substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sheath. At least one non-wire containing section is identified by passing light through at least one wall of the wire-reinforced sheath. Image capture and analysis via an optical system and microprocessor automatically identify regions to target a drill for forming holes in the non-wire containing sections.