Tail-Less Needleless Valve Structure for Low-Force Priming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional needleless valve systems with tails require additional force and fluid for compression and priming, leading to increased material and manufacturing costs, as well as a larger housing volume.
Innovation Solution
A tail-less needleless valve design that reduces material usage and manufacturing costs, requiring less force for deformation and fluid for priming, featuring a continuous top surface for easy sanitation and an asymmetric compression feature for controlled compression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional valve with a tail is used, then the valve can be sealed and controlled, but additional force is required to compress the tail and additional fluid is required to prime the housing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the tail component from the valve design entirely. The valve body is designed without a protruding tail, eliminating the need to compress a tail seal. Instead, the valve uses an internal sealing mechanism where the valve member seals against the valve seat within the valve body, achieving reliable sealing without requiring external tail compression force.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible diaphragm or membrane as the sealing element instead of a rigid tail structure. This flexible film can deform under pressure to create a seal, eliminating the need for mechanical tail compression while maintaining reliable sealing capability.
2Reliability
If a conventional valve with a tail is used, then the valve can be sealed and controlled, but additional fluid is required to prime and flush the housing that encompasses the tail
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the tail and its encompassing housing section, the patent eliminates the dead volume that would require priming fluid. The streamlined valve body design reduces the internal volume that needs to be filled with fluid, thereby reducing the quantity of priming fluid required.
3Reliability
If a conventional valve with a tail is used, then the valve can be sealed and controlled, but the housing volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the tail structure and the housing section that would encompass it, directly reducing the overall housing volume. The compact valve body design integrates the sealing function without requiring additional space for a protruding tail and its protective housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent integrates the sealing function directly into the main valve body structure, merging the tail seal function with the primary valve components. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate tail and housing sections, reducing overall housing volume.
4Reliability
If a valve with a tail is used, then the valve can be sealed and controlled, but material usage and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the tail component and the housing section that would encompass it, the patent reduces the total amount of material required for manufacturing. This simplification directly lowers material costs and manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the sealing function into the main valve body, eliminating the need for separate tail and housing components. This reduction in part count simplifies manufacturing processes and reduces assembly costs.
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
The tail-less design reduces manufacturing costs, minimizes fluid requirements for priming, and facilitates easier sanitation while maintaining effective sealing and fluid flow control.
Implementation Method 1
a valve body (110) comprising a top surface (120), a bottom surface (115), a first side surface (105), and a second side surface (125)
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
A valve for a needleless valve system. The valve includes a body configured to be disposed in the needleless valve system and controlling fluid flow through the needleless valve system and wherein the body is tail-less. The body includes a continuous top surface, and a compression feature configured to control how the body is compressed to allow fluid flow through the needleless valve system.