Swappable Fiber Connection Interface for Medical Equipment Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
The frequent wear-out and failure of connection components between medical devices and capital equipment during medical procedures increase patient risk and maintenance costs, necessitating a reliable and efficient solution for maintaining equipment reliability.
Innovation Solution
A connection component with optical and electrical fibers that facilitate coupling between medical devices and capital equipment, allowing for cleaning, polishing, disinfection, and alignment, and enabling replacement at the point-of-use, while maintaining operational functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If connection components are used for unlimited capital equipment procedures, then equipment versatility is improved, but connection component reliability deteriorates due to wear out and failure
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two distinct segments: a reusable capital equipment portion and a disposable connection component portion. The connection component is designed to be replaceable, allowing the capital equipment to maintain versatility while the connection component is discarded after limited use, preventing wear-out failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection component is designed as a disposable, single-use element that is discarded after one use. This eliminates the reliability issue of repeated connections while maintaining the capital equipment's versatility for unlimited procedures. The low cost of the disposable connector makes this economically viable.
2Reliability
If connection components are replaced frequently, then connection component reliability is improved, but loss of time increases due to replacement procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The connection component is pre-assembled with the medical device as a single integrated unit before sterilization. This preliminary assembly eliminates the need for complex replacement procedures, allowing for rapid exchange during procedures while maintaining high reliability through single-use design.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection component is designed to nest within or integrate with the medical device housing, allowing for compact storage and rapid deployment. The nested design enables quick attachment and detachment without requiring complex alignment or multiple steps, reducing replacement time while maintaining reliability.
3Reliability
If connection components are made disposable, then connection component reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to integration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The connection component is merged with the medical device interface in a single integrated assembly that is sterilized and disposed of together. This merging simplifies the overall system by eliminating separate replaceable connectors while maintaining reliability through the disposable design. The integrated unit requires no complex integration procedures.
4Manufacturing precision
If optical fiber interfaces are cleaned and polished, then manufacturing precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to cleaning procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The connection component including optical fiber interfaces is designed as a disposable element that is pre-cleaned and pre-polished during manufacturing. This eliminates the need for time-consuming cleaning procedures during use while maintaining high optical precision. The disposable nature allows for thorough pre-processing without adding operational time.
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
Enhances equipment reliability, reduces maintenance costs, and minimizes patient risk by providing a swappable connection solution that maintains system integrity during medical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
one or more optical fibers extending across the component body between the equipment interface and the medical device interface to define a fiber-optic connection
Data Source
AI summary
A medical system is disclosed that includes a medical device having an optical fiber, and an interchangeable connection component configured to provide a fiber optic connection between the medical device and capital equipment. The connection component is configured to facilitate cleaning and/or polishing of fiber optic interfaces include therewith. The connection component is also configured for replacement by a medical technician while the capital equipment is operational. The capital equipment may include one or more of an optical interrogator, a patch cable, a medical probe, an ultrasound machine, a display, a magnet sensor, or an electro-cardiogram (ECG) machine. The medical device may include an elongate member configured for insertion within the patient body, where the optical fiber core extends along a length of the elongate member.