Tamper-Proof Cable Lock Clasp for Medical Cable Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical facilities face significant losses and increased operational costs due to the easy removal and disposal of electrical cables and leads, leading to waste and decreased availability of medical equipment, which affects patient care and wait times.
Innovation Solution
A tamper-proof cable lock system featuring a locking clasp with security cable connection arms, stop sleeves, and a vinyl-coated wire rope, designed to securely attach medical device cables to prevent unauthorized removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If electrical cables are made easily removable from medical devices, then ease of operation is improved, but cable loss and waste increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cable connection system is divided into separate components: a cable lock assembly with clasp components that can be independently attached to the cable, and a separate receiver component attached to the medical device. This segmentation allows the cable to remain permanently secured to the device through the locking mechanism while maintaining the ability to remove the entire assembly when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable lock assembly is pre-attached to the electrical cable before use, and the receiver is pre-attached to the medical device. This preliminary action ensures that when the cable needs to be connected to the device, the secure connection is already established, preventing accidental or unauthorized removal during operation.
2Reliability
If cable locks are added to prevent cable loss, then cable security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking function is extracted from the main medical device and implemented as a separate, standalone cable lock assembly. This allows the cable security feature to be added without modifying or complicating the medical device itself. The lock assembly is a self-contained unit with its own clasp components and receiving mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable lock assembly acts as an intermediary component between the electrical cable and the medical device. It provides the security function without requiring integration into either the cable manufacturer's process or the medical device manufacturer's process, simplifying adoption by both parties.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If tamper-proof features are implemented in cable locks, then cable protection is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clasp components are designed with asymmetric geometries including non-circular cross-sections and specific engagement surfaces that only fit in one orientation. This asymmetry provides tamper resistance by preventing unauthorized tools from manipulating the lock, while the components remain manufacturable using standard molding or machining processes.
Solution Approach 2:
Tamper-resistant features are applied locally to specific critical areas of the cable lock assembly, such as the clasp component engagement surfaces and the receiver interface, rather than requiring the entire assembly to be complex. This allows tamper resistance to be achieved with minimal additional manufacturing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a cable lock including a locking clasp including first and second clasp components having first and second security cable connection arms. The locking clasp includes at least one groove. The at least one groove is configured to receive at least one device cable. The cable lock includes a security cable having a wire rope and a vinyl coating. The wire rope includes a plurality of wire strings arranged in a plurality of clusters. The first and second security cable connection arms of the locking clasp are coupled to a first end of the security cable. First and second stop sleeves are disposed on opposite sides of the first and second security cable connection arms. A device connection means is disposed at a second end of the security cable opposite the first end of the security cable.