Tapered Enteral Feeding Adapter Prevents Misconnections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tubing and catheter misconnections, particularly between enteral feeding tubes and intravenous catheters, pose a serious risk of administering nutritional solutions and medications to the wrong system, due to the use of similar or identical tubing, leading to potential patient harm.
Innovation Solution
An adapter assembly with a tapered connector and a male fitting that ensures only compatible enteral feeding connectors can be connected, featuring a central passage and a tapered outer surface for sealing different sizes, and a connection member that forms a fluid path, potentially made from elastomeric materials like thermoplastic polymers, to prevent misconnections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If similar or identical tubing is used for different purposes (enteral feeding and intravenous administration), then device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but patient safety deteriorates due to misconnection risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by designing the connector with a specific geometric configuration (tapered outer surface with particular dimensions) that is asymmetric relative to incompatible connectors. This ensures that only the intended enteral feeding tube with the matching internal taper can be connected, while intravenous catheters with different geometries physically cannot connect, thereby preventing misconnections without complicating the manufacturing process
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter assembly acts as an intermediary component that bridges the container (bottle or syringe) and the enteral feeding tube. It introduces a standardized interface with discrimination features that mediates the connection process, ensuring compatibility verification before fluid transfer, thus eliminating direct misconnection risks between incompatible systems
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a discriminating fitting is used to ensure proper fluid line connections, then patient safety is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to challenges in filling syringes and medical devices
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter assembly provides universal compatibility within the enteral feeding system by accommodating multiple container types (bottles and syringes) through its tapered connector design. The same adapter interface works for filling from various sources and connecting to different enteral feeding tubes, maintaining ease of operation while ensuring safety through geometric discrimination
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is segmented into distinct functional zones: a tapered outer surface for sealing with containers, an internal passage for fluid flow, and connection interfaces for both containers and enteral tubes. This segmentation allows each zone to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall compatibility and safety
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 adapter assembly effectively prevents incorrect connections by ensuring only compatible enteral feeding connectors can be used, thereby reducing the risk of administering fluids to the wrong system and enhancing safety in medical settings.
Implementation Method 1
The tapered connector is comprised of an elastomeric material, such as a resilient thermoplastic polymer having a hardness in a range of from about 35 to 75 Shore A hardness
Data Source
AI summary
An adapter assembly includes a tapered connector including a central passage and a tapered outer surface for sealing with a tube or bottle. A male connector for connection to a female connector to fluidly communicate the female connector with the tube or bottle is coupled with the tapered connector. A method of forming such an adapter assembly is also disclosed.