Vacuum Tube Receiver Flow Control for Peripheral IV Blood Draw
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum tubes used with peripheral IV catheters (PIVCs) face issues such as restricted blood flow, increased likelihood of hemolysis, and pressure drops due to the flexible nature of catheters and their design for multiple system compatibility, unlike dedicated blood collection sets.
Innovation Solution
The vacuum tube receiver includes features like elongated openings, insertion depth control components, multiple spikes, and flow control mechanisms to manage blood flow rate and pressure, ensuring controlled insertion and gradual pressure equalization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a vacuum tube is connected to a peripheral IV catheter, then blood can be drawn from the patient, but the flexible catheter material and design cause restricted blood flow and increased pressure drops
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the flow path by incorporating an elongated opening at an angle to the catheter axis, which modifies the flow characteristics and reduces pressure drops compared to a direct perpendicular connection
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum tube receiver acts as an intermediary device between the IV catheter and vacuum tube, providing a transition zone with an elongated opening that facilitates smoother blood flow and reduces the harmful effects of direct connection
2Ease of operation
If the catheter diameter is made large enough to accommodate the needle, then needle insertion is possible, but the catheter occludes a larger portion of the vein
Solution Approach 1:
The flow path is segmented into multiple sections with different characteristics - the elongated opening creates a gradual transition zone that reduces the overall occlusion impact while maintaining sufficient flow capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The elongated opening extends in a dimension perpendicular to the catheter axis, creating a three-dimensional flow path that reduces the effective occlusion area while maintaining the necessary structural integrity for needle insertion
3Productivity
If a dedicated blood collection set is used, then optimal blood flow characteristics are achieved, but the system cannot be used with existing peripheral IV catheters
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum tube receiver is designed with universal adaptability to work with standard peripheral IV catheters while providing blood flow characteristics optimized for vacuum tube collection, combining the benefits of dedicated sets with the versatility of IV compatibility
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
These features minimize blood cell damage and pressure drops, providing optimal blood flow characteristics and reducing vein collapse during blood collection from PIVCs.
Implementation Method 1
Vacuum tube 110 includes a septum 111 and cap 112 which maintain the vacuum... the vacuum within vacuum tube 110 will cause blood to flow into vacuum tube 110
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum tube receiver can include a housing that has a proximal end and a distal end. The housing can include a hollow interior and a proximal opening for receiving a vacuum tube into the hollow interior. The distal end of the housing can form an adapter for coupling the vacuum tube receiver to an intravenous system. The vacuum tube receiver may also include one or more spikes that extend proximally into the hollow interior to form a blood flow path. The vacuum tube receiver can include a number of features to control the pressure and/or flowrate of blood into a vacuum tube.