Vapor Hydration of Hydrophilic Catheter in Sealed Package
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydrophilic urinary catheters often require hydration before use, leading to issues such as water spillage when immersed, and existing vapor hydration methods may not ensure consistent activation of the hydrophilic coating.
Innovation Solution
A sealed packaging system with vapor permeable, liquid impermeable sachets containing a vapor donating medium that activates the hydrophilic coating of the catheter, maintaining a 100% relative humidity atmosphere within the package to ensure the catheter is ready for use without additional hydration steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If liquid water is used to hydrate the hydrophilic catheter, then the catheter becomes activated and lubricious, but water spills from the package during handling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the hydration medium from liquid water to water vapor phase. The package contains a vapor-permeable membrane that allows water vapor to pass through and hydrate the hydrophilic catheter coating without liquid water being present in the package cavity. This phase transition eliminates spillage while maintaining effective catheter activation.
Solution Approach 2:
The vapor-permeable membrane acts as an intermediary barrier between the liquid water reservoir and the catheter. It allows water vapor to pass through to activate the catheter while preventing liquid water from escaping the package. This intermediary component solves the contradiction by enabling hydration without spillage.
2Ease of operation
If the package is sealed to prevent water spillage, then water vapor can activate the catheter, but the catheter may not be sufficiently hydrated before use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses phase transition of water from liquid to vapor to overcome the sealing contradiction. The vapor-permeable membrane allows water vapor to penetrate the sealed package and hydrate the catheter coating effectively, ensuring adequate hydration while maintaining package integrity and preventing spillage.
Solution Approach 2:
The vapor-permeable membrane is a porous material that allows selective passage of water vapor molecules while blocking liquid water. This porous structure enables sufficient catheter hydration through vapor diffusion while maintaining the sealed package configuration to prevent spillage.
3Productivity
If the package contains enough liquid water for immersion, then the catheter is ready for immediate use, but the liquid water tends to spill during removal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates liquid water from the package cavity and uses water vapor instead. The vapor-permeable membrane allows vapor to pass through and activate the catheter coating, providing immediate use readiness without the harmful effect of liquid water spillage during package removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the liquid water from the package cavity and replaces it with a vapor-phase hydration system. The vapor-permeable membrane separates the liquid water reservoir from the catheter, allowing vapor to reach the catheter while preventing liquid spillage during handling and removal.
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 packaging system ensures consistent and reliable activation of the hydrophilic coating, eliminating water spillage and allowing for immediate use of the catheter without the need for user hydration, while maintaining the lubricious condition for the desired shelf life.
Implementation Method 1
Liquid water is sequestered within the catheter package and releases water vapor into the cavity to activate the hydrophilic catheter
Implementation Method 2
The sachets are at least partially made of a vapor permeable, liquid impermeable material and contain a vapor donating medium therein. Vapor donated from the vapor donating medium permeates through the vapor permeable material of the sachets
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~8
AI summary
A vapor hydrated packaged catheter assembly and method of manufacturing the same which includes a gas impermeable package that has a cavity containing a hydrophilic medical device, such as a hydrophilic catheter, and a plurality of sachets containing a vapor donating medium. Vapor from the donating medium permeates from the sachets and into the cavity to activate the hydrophilic medical device.