Tourniquet Cuff Uniform Pressure via Pre-Tensioned Membrane
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tourniquet cuffs face challenges with non-uniform pressure distribution, crease formation, and difficulty in cleaning and sterilization, leading to inefficiencies and potential skin injuries during blood flow restriction procedures.
Innovation Solution
A tourniquet cuff design featuring an inflatable body with a bendable support and a stretchable wall, where the stretchable wall is pre-tensioned to form a toroidal shape, ensuring uniform pressure distribution and ease of cleaning, using materials like elastomeric polymers and thermoplastic materials for durability and sterilizability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a textile fabric wrap is used for the tourniquet cuff, then the cuff can be flexible and adaptable to different limb shapes, but creases form during inflation causing non-uniform pressure distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the textile fabric wrap with a flexible membrane that forms a smooth, crease-free surface when inflated. The membrane is stretched over a rigid or semi-rigid support structure, creating a taut surface that distributes pressure uniformly across the limb without forming creases, while still maintaining flexibility to conform to different limb shapes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a toroidal (doughnut-shaped) inflatable chamber that naturally distributes pressure more evenly around the limb. The curved, continuous surface of the toroidal structure eliminates sharp edges and creases, providing a more uniform pressure distribution compared to flat or segmented designs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a textile fabric wrap is used for the tourniquet cuff, then the cuff can be flexible, but it cannot be adequately cleaned and sterilized requiring one-time use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a smooth, non-porous flexible membrane material that can be easily wiped clean and sterilized using standard medical sterilization methods. Unlike textile fabrics that absorb fluids and harbor bacteria, the membrane surface allows for effective cleaning and can withstand repeated sterilization cycles, enabling multiple uses while maintaining flexibility.
3Stress or pressure
If compressed air is used to inflate the cuff, then blood flow restriction can be achieved, but the pressure distribution becomes non-uniform due to creases and overlaps
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible membrane stretched over a support structure creates a smooth, taut surface that distributes the internal air pressure uniformly across the entire contact area with the limb. The membrane tensioning system ensures even pressure distribution by pre-tensing the membrane before inflation, preventing localized pressure points.
Solution Approach 2:
The toroidal shape of the inflatable chamber provides inherent pressure distribution advantages, as the curved geometry naturally spreads the inflation pressure evenly around the limb circumference, eliminating the need for complex pressure equalization mechanisms.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple tourniquet cuffs in different sizes and shapes are kept in stock, then various limb sizes and shapes can be accommodated, but it becomes labor-intensive and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal tourniquet cuff with an adjustable and adaptable structure that can accommodate various limb sizes and shapes with a single device. The inflatable chamber can be adjusted in size and shape through controlled inflation, and the fastening mechanism can be positioned at different locations, eliminating the need to maintain multiple specialized cuffs in inventory.
Solution Approach 2:
The tourniquet cuff incorporates dynamic adjustment capabilities through variable inflation pressure and adjustable fastening positions, allowing the same physical cuff to adapt to different limb configurations. This dynamic adaptability replaces the static approach of having multiple fixed-size cuffs.
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 design provides a uniformly distributed pressure, minimizes creases, and allows for repeated use, reducing tissue stress and the need for multiple cuff sizes, while maintaining effective blood flow restriction with adjustable pressure.
Implementation Method 1
While the stretchable material is stretched at least in the longitudinal direction, the stretchable wall is affixed to the elongated support. Due to the stretching of the stretchable wall and the lesser stretchability of the support material compared with the stretchable material, the stretchable wall, at least in the longitudinal direction, exerts a tensile stress on the elongated support, which has the effect that the support is deformed into an annular shape, and the stretchable wall, even when the inflatable body is not pressurized, curves into a convex shape.
Implementation Method 2
the inflatable body can be connected via a hose, which is connected to the inflatable chamber, to a compressed gas source. The compressed gas source can, for example, be a compressor which provides compressed gas, particularly compressed air, by means of which the inflatable body can be inflated.
Implementation Method 3
the stretchable wall, at least in the longitudinal direction, exerts a tensile stress on the elongated support, which has the effect that the support is deformed into an annular shape
Data Source
AI summary
A tourniquet cuff for placement on a limb, having an inflatable body which encloses an inflatable chamber and which can be inflated with a compressed gas so as to create blood flow restriction in the limb, with the inflatable body being formed from an elongated support made of a bendable support material extending along a longitudinal direction and from a stretchable wall made of a stretchable material attached to the support. To enable thorough and easy cleaning and sterilization of the tourniquet cuff and easy placement on a limb and to ensure the most uniform possible distribution of the pressure exerted by the tourniquet cuff on the limb, the stretchable wall is affixed to the elongated support while the stretchable material is stretched at least in the longitudinal direction. A method of manufacturing the tourniquet cuff is also disclosed.