Medical Valving System Flow Corral Flushability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical valving devices, particularly diaphragm-based pressure activated valves, suffer from fluid stagnation issues, making it difficult to clear and flush out fluid residues, which reduces their utility in repeated access scenarios.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a flow corral system within the valving device that redirects fluid flow back towards the valve mechanism, enhancing flushing by using angled radially inward and outward faces to form flow channels and corrals, which aids in clearing the underside of the valve mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a diaphragm-based pressure activated valve is used to allow repeated non-invasive access to patient vasculature, then the valve provides convenient repeated access without requiring repeated skin piercing, but fluid stagnates on the underside of the diaphragm where it is supported within the valve, making it difficult to clear and flush out
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the problematic stagnant fluid region from the valve design by incorporating a flow corral that actively redirects fluid flow to reach and flush the underside of the diaphragm, removing the stagnation zone that previously existed in conventional designs
Solution Approach 2:
The flow corral introduces a new dimensional aspect to fluid flow by creating a redirected flow path that accesses the underside of the diaphragm from a different direction, allowing flush fluid to reach areas that were previously inaccessible in the conventional linear flow path
2Reliability
If the valve mechanism is designed with support structures for the diaphragm, then the valve provides stable operation and reliable sealing, but these support structures create areas where fluid can stagnate and become difficult to flush out
Solution Approach 1:
The flow corral structure serves multiple functions: it maintains the structural support needed for diaphragm operation while simultaneously creating fluid redirection pathways that enable effective flushing, combining structural and fluid management functions in a single integrated design
Solution Approach 2:
The flow corral acts as an intermediary element between the main fluid flow path and the underside of the diaphragm, mediating the transfer of flush fluid to the previously inaccessible support structure areas without compromising the structural integrity of the valve
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
This design significantly improves the flushability of medical valves, allowing for efficient clearance of fluids with minimal flush volume, thereby maintaining valve functionality and reducing the risk of residue-related issues.
Implementation Method 1
The flow corral may redirect fluid passing through the valving device from the inlet to the outlet toward the second surface of the valve mechanism
Implementation Method 2
The valve mechanism may be a pressure activated valve, and may transition from the closed mode to the open mode in the presence of a forward pressure directed from the inlet to the outlet
Implementation Method 3
the first surface of the valve mechanism may seal against the seating surface when in the closed mode
Implementation Method 4
The aperture may open in the presence of a backward/retrograde pressure from the outlet toward the inlet
Data Source
AI summary
A valving device includes a body with an inlet, an outlet and an internal fluid path extending from the inlet to the outlet. Within the internal fluid path, the valving device has a valve mechanism with an open mode that allows fluid flow through the valve mechanism between the inlet and outlet and closed mode that prevents fluid flow through the valve mechanism. The valve mechanism has a first surface facing the inlet and a second surface facing the outlet. The body at least partially defines a flow corral. The flow corral(s) is/are located distal to the valve mechanism and redirect fluid passing through the valving device back toward the second surface of the valve mechanism to flush the underside of the valve mechanism.