Tube Fixation Device With Ductile Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for securing chest tubes in trauma patients are time-consuming, require clinical expertise, and are prone to complications such as inadvertent tube removal and kinking, especially in non-hospital settings where conditions are unstable.
Innovation Solution
A tube fixation device with a ductile layer that conforms to the body's surface, combined with an absorbent and flexible layer, allows for quick and secure attachment without the need for sutures, using a fastening element that can be easily applied and adjusted, and includes an adhesive layer to prevent fluid leakage and infection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If surgical tape is used to anchor the chest tube, then the tube can be secured to the chest wall, but blood and sweat on the skin prevent adequate grip and the tube may be dislodged
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation device is divided into multiple functional layers: an adhesive layer for skin attachment, an absorbent layer to manage skin fluids, and a tape layer for tube anchoring. This segmentation allows each layer to address specific problems independently, with the absorbent layer protecting the adhesive layer from skin fluids that would otherwise prevent proper gripping.
Solution Approach 2:
The absorbent layer acts as an intermediary between the skin and the adhesive layer. It absorbs skin fluids (blood and sweat) before they can reach and interfere with the adhesive layer, thereby maintaining the adhesive properties needed for reliable tube fixation even in the presence of skin fluids.
2Reliability
If sutures are used to anchor the chest tube, then secure fixation is achieved, but the procedure becomes time-consuming and requires a suture-kit and clinical experience
Solution Approach 1:
The device replaces the complex mechanical process of suturing with a simpler adhesive-based system. Instead of requiring needle threading, knot tying, and clinical skill, the fixation is achieved through the adhesive layer that bonds to the skin and the tape layer that secures the tube, significantly reducing procedure time and skill requirements while maintaining fixation security.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixation device uses a disposable adhesive-based system rather than reusable suture materials. This disposable approach eliminates the need for sterilization and complex handling associated with sutures, making the procedure faster and less skill-dependent while providing reliable fixation.
3Reliability
If the chest tube is secured tightly to prevent dislodgement, then tube stability is improved, but the tube may kink underneath the dressing
Solution Approach 1:
The device separates the fixation function from the tube support function. The adhesive layer and tape layer provide secure anchoring to prevent dislodgement, while the rigid extension protruding from the tape layer provides structural support to the tube, preventing kinking. This segmentation allows both stability and tube integrity to be achieved simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid extension creates a three-dimensional structure that elevates the tube exit point above the plane of the skin and dressing. This vertical dimension provides space for the tube to exit cleanly without being compressed or kinked by the dressing, while the adhesive and tape layers maintain secure fixation in the horizontal plane.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
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AI summary
A tube fixation device (1) for maintaining a tube (2) inserted into a mammalian body in a releasably fixated position, said tube fixation device (1) comprising: a tube receiving element (3) configured to receive said tube (2); a fastening element (4) arranged in connection to said tube receiving element (3) and wherein said fastening element (4) is configured to releasably fixate said tube (2) when said tube (2) is arranged in said tube receiving element (3); and a supportive element (5) attached to said tube receiving element (3) and configured to be positioned on a surface area of said mammalian body,characterized in that the supportive element (5) comprises a layered structure (16), wherein said layered structure comprises at least a ductile layer (20) comprising a ductile material, wherein the ductile layer is configured to be shapeable by the practitioner to conform to a three-dimensional shape of said surface area on said mammalian body.