Universal Medical Connector Cap With Pressure Seal for Lumen Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current disinfecting caps are limited to specific types of connectors, lacking a universal design that can accommodate both male and female connectors, and there is a need to minimize disinfectant ingress into the central lumen of medical connectors to prevent contamination and CRBSI.
Innovation Solution
A cap design with a housing, protrusion, disinfection sponge, and pressure seal that accommodates both male and female connectors, featuring inner and outer threads for interlocking and a pressure seal to inhibit disinfectant ingress into the lumen.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate disinfecting caps are designed for male and female connectors, then each cap can be optimized for its specific connector type, but the device complexity increases and requires multiple caps to be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is designed with a universal interface that can accommodate both male and female connectors through a single device. The cap features a dual-gender threading system where the body contains internal threads for female connectors while the protrusion contains external threads for male connectors, allowing one cap to serve multiple functions and eliminate the need for separate caps for different connector types.
2Device complexity
If a universal cap design is used for both male and female connectors, then the device complexity is reduced, but it becomes difficult to prevent disinfectant ingress into the lumen effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is segmented into distinct functional zones: the body portion that interfaces with female connectors and the protrusion portion that interfaces with male connectors. Each segment has its own sealing mechanism - the body uses a seal at its open end to prevent disinfectant ingress into female connectors, while the protrusion uses its own seal to prevent ingress into male connectors. This segmentation allows effective sealing for both connector types within a single universal cap design.
3Ease of operation
If traditional scrubbing procedure is used, then the disinfection process is simple, but compliance is low and scrub time variation leads to inconsistent disinfection quality
Solution Approach 1:
The cap incorporates a pre-attached disinfectant-impregnated sponge that performs the disinfection function automatically when the cap is applied to the connector. The user simply needs to attach the cap, and the sponge provides continuous disinfection through contact, eliminating the need for manual scrubbing with alcohol pads. This self-service approach ensures consistent disinfection quality and improves compliance by simplifying the procedure to a single action of cap attachment.
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 cap effectively disinfects both male and female connectors while preventing disinfectant ingress, reducing the risk of CRBSI and streamlining the disinfecting process, thereby enhancing safety and efficiency in medical settings.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure seal attached to the housing and disposed adjacent to a surface of the disinfection sponge
Implementation Method 2
a disinfection sponge configured within the second cavity
Data Source
AI summary
A cap for connection to a medical connector comprises: a housing, a protrusion, a disinfection sponge, and a pressure seal. The protrusion includes an inner thread on an inner surface, the inner thread being sufficient to interlock with a mating feature of a female medical connector. The inner surface of the protrusion defines a second cavity. The protrusion includes an outer thread on an outer surface, the outer thread being sufficient to interlock with a mating feature of a male medical connector. The disinfection sponge is disposed on the second cavity. The pressure seal is attached to the housing and disposed adjacent to a surface of the disinfection sponge. The pressure seal can comprise a flexible insert attached to an interior surface of the top wall of the housing. The pressure seal can comprise a combination of: an elongate member and an insert that is slidably engaged with the elongate member.