Medical Fluid Container With Variable-Width Conduit for Clotting Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containers for medical fluids in extracorporeal blood treatment systems suffer from air retention and the risk of blood clotting due to low fluid flow areas and high fluid flow velocities, leading to potential hemolysis and reduced operating times.
Innovation Solution
A container design with a fluid conduit featuring non-constant maximum width, including deflection sections with varying widths along the flow direction, minimizing low and high fluid flow areas to prevent air retention and clotting, while optimizing heat transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the fluid conduit has constant width, then the container structure is simple, but air retention and clotting risks increase due to low fluid flow areas
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid conduit features non-constant maximum width with varying cross-sectional dimensions along its length. Specifically, the conduit has a first section with a first maximum width and a second section with a second maximum width that is different from the first, creating localized variations in flow characteristics that prevent stagnant areas while maintaining overall structural simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameter of the fluid conduit by varying its maximum width along the flow direction. This parameter variation optimizes fluid flow dynamics to eliminate low flow areas that cause air retention and clotting, while the changes are implemented in a controlled manner to avoid excessive complexity
2Reliability
If the fluid conduit has non-constant width, then air retention and clotting risks are reduced, but the container structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The non-constant width is implemented through specific local sections of the conduit rather than throughout the entire structure. The first and second sections have different maximum widths, creating localized flow optimization zones that reduce air retention and clotting risks without requiring complex modifications to the entire container
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid conduit is divided into distinct sections (first section and second section) with different width characteristics. This segmentation allows each section to be optimized for specific flow conditions, reducing overall complexity while achieving the reliability improvement of preventing air retention and clotting
3Use of energy by moving object
If fluid flow velocity is high, then heat transfer efficiency improves, but hemolysis risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the fluid conduit (maximum width variations) to optimize fluid flow velocity distribution. This creates a balanced flow regime that maintains sufficient velocity for effective heat transfer while avoiding excessively high velocities that would cause hemolysis of blood cells
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the fluid conduit have different width characteristics to create localized flow conditions. The first and second sections are designed with specific width ratios that optimize heat transfer in high-priority areas while protecting sensitive regions from excessive shear stress that could cause hemolysis
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 container design reduces air retention and clotting risks, enhances heat exchange efficiency, and maintains stable fluid flow, improving the safety and reliability of extracorporeal blood treatment.
Implementation Method 1
the temperature is regulated, for example, by heat being transferred (or removed) from a heating area of the fluids temperature control apparatus through the material of the bag and into (or form) the medical fluid flowing through the bag
Data Source
AI summary
An extracorporeal blood circuit comprises a blood withdrawal line, a blood return line, one or more air separators, a dialysis supply line, a dialysis effluent line, one or more infusion lines, a flexible bag for enabling blood flow connected to the blood return line or to the blood withdrawal line, and a fluid conduit. The fluid conduit has a maximum width in a direction of fluid flow through the fluid conduit. The one or more deflection sections includes an entry section and an exit section. The width of the fluid conduit decreases along the direction of fluid flow through the entry section from the maximum width to a narrower width and the width of the fluid conduit increases along the direction of the fluid flow through the exit section from the narrower width to the maximum width.