Deflectable Stopcock Lever with Blocking Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing three-way stopcocks in medical applications often have a stopcock lever that can snag or jam with additional catheters and sheaths during procedures, leading to complications such as unwanted blood loss or air entering the vessel, especially when retraction or replacement of the introducer sheath is attempted.
Innovation Solution
A blocking device is integrated at the free end of the stopcock lever to close the gap formed between the stopcock lever, the stopcock housing, and radial connections, preventing snagging or jamming by blocking access to the gap between the control lever and the tube connection in the closed state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the stopcock lever is positioned in the cutoff direction of the introducer sheath, then the physician can easily sense the closing position, but the stopcock lever may become snagged or jammed with additional catheters and charging sheaths
Solution Approach 1:
A blocking device is introduced as an intermediary element between the stopcock lever and the surrounding medical instruments. This blocking device prevents direct contact between the stopcock lever and additional catheters or charging sheaths, thereby eliminating the snagging and jamming problems while preserving the lever's positioning function for sensing closing status
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking function is extracted from the stopcock lever itself and implemented as a separate blocking device. This separation allows the stopcock lever to maintain its primary function of indicating closing position without acquiring the harmful side effect of snagging other instruments, while the blocking device independently provides the protective function
2Device complexity
If the stopcock lever points in the direction of the introducer sheath in the cutoff position, then the configuration is simple and familiar, but it acts like a hook that can accidentally grab flexible parts of the introducer or cables
Solution Approach 1:
The blocking device serves as a mediator that prevents the stopcock lever from directly interacting with flexible parts such as the introducer sheath, cables, or other soft components. By blocking access to the gap between the lever and tube connection, it eliminates the hook-like effect while maintaining the simple directional configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking device provides preliminary protection by preventing the stopcock lever from entering a harmful configuration before accidental grabbing can occur. It proactively blocks the gap in advance, so that even if the lever is positioned in the cutoff direction, it cannot snag flexible parts
Data Source
AI summary
A stopcock having a deflectable stopcock lever. Said stopcock is fixedly connected to a catheter-like or sheath-like medical installation for supplying drugs into a blood vessel of a patient or an animal or for withdrawing blood from the vessel, with a blocking device being provided on the stopcock, ensuring trouble-free retraction of the medical installation from the vessel or replacement of the medical installation. This is preferably a three-way stopcock.