Sheet-shaped covering with thermochromic leak detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sheet-shaped coverings for medical use fail to promptly detect leaks of liquid medicine from blood vessels, leading to potential skin reddening, swelling, and necrosis due to insufficient securing of tubular members, which can cause the medicine to leak outside the vessel.
Innovation Solution
A sheet-shaped covering with a transparent section covering the insertion opening and a temperature-sensitive section that changes color in response to temperature changes, positioned near the transparent section to detect leaks by visualizing temperature changes on the body surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a film dressing is used to secure the tubular member to the body surface, then the catheter is secured and bacterial penetration is suppressed, but the tubular member may still move and liquid medicine may leak outside the blood vessel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a temperature-sensitive section that changes color in response to temperature changes caused by liquid medicine leakage. This visual indicator allows immediate detection of leaks without requiring the catheter to be perfectly secured, thus addressing the harmful effect of potential leakage while maintaining the securing function of the film dressing.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature-sensitive section acts as an intermediary indicator between the liquid medicine leakage (which is not directly visible) and the observer. It translates the thermal effect of leaking medicine into a visible color change, enabling detection of the harmful effect without direct observation of the leakage itself.
2Ease of operation
If the tubular member is not sufficiently secured to the body surface, then movement of the tubular member occurs, but this leads to liquid medicine leaking outside the blood vessel causing skin reddening, swelling, and necrosis
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature-sensitive section provides immediate visual feedback when liquid medicine leaks outside the blood vessel. The color change occurs rapidly in response to temperature changes, allowing operators to detect leakage early and take corrective action before severe skin damage occurs, thus mitigating the harmful effects while maintaining ease of application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses color-changing material in the temperature-sensitive section to provide visual indication of leakage. This allows operators to easily monitor the condition of the catheter insertion site without complex equipment, enabling prompt detection and response to potential skin damage risks.
3Measurement precision
If a temperature-sensitive section is added to detect liquid medicine leaks, then prompt detection is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the temperature-sensitive detection function with the existing film dressing structure. The temperature-sensitive section is integrated into the covering itself rather than being a separate device, thus enabling leak detection while minimizing additional complexity. The connector simply joins the transparent and temperature-sensitive sections without requiring complex mechanisms.
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
Enables prompt detection of liquid medicine leaks outside the blood vessel, preventing complications such as skin reddening and necrosis by visually indicating temperature changes associated with leaks.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature sensitive section that is positioned near the transparent section, contacts the body surface, and changes color in accordance with temperature
Data Source
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AI summary
A sheet-shaped covering (1) is for attachment to a body surface (BS) and includes a transparent section (2) covering an insertion opening (102) in the body surface (BS) for a tubular member (100) inserted into a body through the body surface (BS) so that a distal end (101) of the tubular member (100) is placed inside the body, and a temperature sensitive section (3) that is positioned near the transparent section (2), contacts the body surface (BS), and changes color in accordance with temperature.