Sleeveless Protective Catheter Tip Attachment for Sterile Insertion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional urinary catheter assemblies with protective tips often require a sleeve for secure attachment, which increases manufacturing costs and may lead to contamination during handling and insertion.
Innovation Solution
A sleeveless urinary catheter assembly design that uses an insert or adapter with projections to securely attach the protective tip to the catheter, eliminating the need for a sleeve while maintaining sterility and ease of handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a sleeve is used to connect and secure the protective tip to the catheter, then the protective tip is securely attached, but manufacturing costs increase and contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the sleeve component from the catheter assembly, extracting only the essential attachment function needed between the protective tip and catheter. This eliminates the sleeve's manufacturing cost and potential contamination while maintaining secure attachment through direct engagement features.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the protective tip and catheter into a more integrated assembly by eliminating the intermediate sleeve. The attachment features are directly incorporated into the protective tip structure itself, merging functions that were previously separated into distinct components.
2Strength
If a sleeve is used to connect and secure the protective tip to the catheter, then the protective tip is securely attached, but contamination risk during handling and insertion increases
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the sleeve component entirely, the patent eliminates the additional surface area and connection interface that could harbor bacteria or become contaminated during handling and insertion procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective tip itself acts as a flexible barrier that directly contacts and protects the catheter, eliminating the need for an additional sleeve layer that could compromise sterility.
3Ease of operation
If the outer diameter of the catheter is smaller than the inner diameter of the protective tip, then the catheter can be inserted into the protective tip, but a sleeve is required to prevent detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the sleeve component that was needed to prevent detachment, relying instead on integrated attachment features built into the protective tip structure itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces attachment features (such as engagement ribs or friction surfaces) that act as intermediaries between the catheter and protective tip, providing secure connection without requiring an additional sleeve component.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 2A~14A
Figure 5~8
AI summary
A protective catheter tip has a generally tubular body portion defining an interior cavity. The proximal end of a urinary catheter is at least partially received within the protective tip, with the protective tip being retained on the urinary catheter without the need for a sleeve connecting the protective tip and the catheter. The protective tip may include a projection received within a draining hole or eye at the proximal end of the catheter to retain the protective tip on the catheter. The protective tip may instead include one or more projections that apply a frictional force to an outer surface of the catheter to retain the protective tip on the catheter. The protective tip may instead be retained on the catheter by a tether extending between the protective tip and a distal end of the catheter. The protective tip may also be provided in two pieces.