Urology Drape With Hood Repository For Fluid Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current urology drapes fail to effectively contain bodily fluids during urinary catheter changes, manual bladder washouts, and flexible cystoscopies, exposing patients, healthcare workers, and hospital environments to infectious materials, leading to occupational health risks, increased costs, and resource inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A urology drape with a tapered design, a hood that collects fluids in a repository, and optional absorbent layers, preventing fluid contact with the patient and environment, and allowing for easy disposal of contaminated materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If small traditional drapes are used, then the drape is simple and easy to handle, but it fails to contain bodily fluids effectively, exposing patients and healthcare workers to infectious materials
Solution Approach 1:
The drape is divided into distinct functional segments: a hood portion for collecting fluids, a repository for containing soiled materials, and a patient coverage area. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function effectively while maintaining overall system manageability.
Solution Approach 2:
The repository is nested within the hood structure, with the soiled area contained inside the collection hood. This nested design allows the repository to be securely positioned within the hood, preventing fluid escape while maintaining a compact overall structure that remains easy to handle.
2Loss of substance
If current draping methods are used, then the procedure is quick to set up, but it results in extensive contamination of patient, bedding, and floor requiring extensive cleanup
Solution Approach 1:
The soiled materials and bodily fluids are extracted and contained within the repository portion of the drape, separating them from the clean environment. This extraction prevents contamination of bedding and floor, eliminating the need for extensive cleanup of external surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The drape design converts the harmful spillage of bodily fluids into a beneficial contained collection within the repository. The hood and repository structure transforms what would be messy contamination into an organized, contained system that is easy to remove and dispose of as a single unit.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If small traditional drapes are used, then the drape material is minimal and simple, but it provides insufficient protection against infectious materials for healthcare workers
Solution Approach 1:
The drape provides enhanced protection specifically where needed - the hood and repository areas use sufficient material quantity to contain fluids and infectious materials, while other areas maintain appropriate coverage. This localized enhancement of material quantity ensures protection against infectious materials without unnecessarily increasing overall material consumption.
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 drape reduces exposure to infectious materials, minimizes cleanup time and costs, enhances occupational health and safety, and decreases the risk of infection, while optimizing resource utilization and reducing insurance claims.
Implementation Method 1
the sheet could include a layer of absorbent material for absorbing liquids
Data Source
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AI summary
A urology drape is disclosed which comprises a flexible sheet (12) which has a flexible hood (22) overlying part of the sheet (12) to form a repository (24) between the sheet (12) and the hood (22). The sheet (12) has a hole (18) to enable a procedure to be performed on a patient when the drape is located on the patient. Bodily fluid is able to flow from the hole down the sheet (12) into the repository (24) and when the procedure is finished, the drape can be folded or otherwise collapsed into a disposable package so that the drape and fluid can be disposed of in a hygienic manner.