Urine Aspiration Interface With Non-Contact Sensing and Leak Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current urine aspiration systems face challenges such as nosocomial infections from catheters, cumbersome manual collectors, and difficulties in achieving a comfortable, discrete, and secure body interface device, especially for female wearers, with existing designs being expensive and prone to leakage or false triggering.
Innovation Solution
A body interface device with an adhesive gel pad and a flexible cover that includes a non-contact liquid sensor, allowing for rapid and reliable urine detection without electrical contact, and a compact design that accommodates a liquid acquisition material for efficient urine distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a catheter is used to drain urine, then urine can be drained effectively, but nosocomial infections and catheter-related UTIs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the drainage function from the traditional catheter by using a portable aspiration system with a collection bag, allowing urine to be drained without maintaining a foreign object in the bladder, thereby reducing infection risk while preserving drainage effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary aspiration system that collects urine through external suction rather than direct catheter drainage, using a collection bag as a mediator between the patient's bladder and the drainage system, eliminating the need for continuous catheterization
2Object-affected harmful factors
If manual collectors are used for urine collection, then catheterization is avoided, but the devices are cumbersome and may result in spills
Solution Approach 1:
The aspiration system performs urine collection automatically through sensor detection and active suction, eliminating the need for manual intervention to position or empty collectors, thereby improving ease of operation while avoiding catheterization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces passive mechanical collectors with an active electronic aspiration system that uses sensors and electric pumps to automatically detect and remove urine, transforming manual collection into an automated process that prevents spills
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If electrodes are used as liquid sensors, then urine detection is achieved, but electrical current may leak through conductive urine to the skin
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces electrical electrode sensors with optical sensors that detect urine presence through light absorption or reflection changes, eliminating electrical contact with the body while maintaining sensitive urine detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an optical intermediary (light) that detects urine presence without direct electrical contact, using light as a mediator between the sensor and the conductive urine, thereby preventing current leakage while enabling detection
4Object-affected harmful factors
If optical fibers are integrated into the urinal to sense liquid, then electrical current leakage is avoided, but the design becomes expensive and impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the optical sensing function from complex integrated optical fiber systems and implements it through simpler optical sensors positioned externally, eliminating the need for expensive optical fiber integration while maintaining non-contact detection and avoiding current leakage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses disposable urinals with simple optical sensors rather than expensive reusable systems with integrated optical fibers, making the solution more practical and cost-effective for single-use applications while still avoiding electrical current leakage
5Ease of operation
If the body interface device is made compact, then comfort and discreteness are improved, but there is little volume to accommodate initial urine discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The aspiration system performs preliminary action by detecting urine presence immediately through sensors and activating suction before the collection bag fills, allowing the device to remain compact while accommodating urine discharge through active removal rather than passive containment
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 solution provides a comfortable, secure, and compact body interface device that prevents leakage, allows for rapid urine detection, and reduces the risk of nosocomial infections by using a non-contact sensor, enhancing user acceptance and hygiene while being cost-effective.
Implementation Method 1
at least one optical sensor for sensing the presence of liquid in the collection chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A body interface device for a urine aspiration system comprises a skin contact pad with gel adhesive for adhering to the skin, and a flexible cover attached to the pad. The pad includes at least one aperture for admitting urine through the pad into the body interface device. The flexible cover has a bulged form projecting away from the gasket. The flexible cover defines a urine receiving chamber facing towards the gasket, and recess facing away from the chamber for receiving at least a portion of a non-contact liquid sensor. The recess and chamber have a wall portion in common that separates the recess and the chamber. A liquid acquisition material in the chamber receives and transports urine for rapid sensing by the non-contact sensor. An aspiration unit is responsive to the non-contact liquid sensor to apply aspiration suction to the body interface device, upon detection of urine.