Needleless Connector Cap Vented Design for Airway Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current needleless connector caps do not allow air to pass around the cap if it becomes lodged in a patient's airway, potentially blocking the airway and reducing the time available for removal.
Innovation Solution
The cap design includes one or more vents that allow air to pass through, even if the cap is completely concentric with the windpipe, and a support structure that keeps the vents from contacting the windpipe or becoming clogged.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cap is designed to seal the needleless connector to prevent contamination, then infection prevention is improved, but airway blockage risk increases if the cap becomes lodged in the patient's throat
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is divided into two separate housings: an inner housing that seals the needleless connector to prevent contamination, and an outer housing that provides a vented pathway around the cap. This segmentation allows the cap to maintain sealing functionality while creating a separate air passage that prevents airway blockage if the cap becomes lodged in the patient's throat.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure acts as an intermediary element between the inner and outer housings, maintaining the vented pathway open and preventing it from contacting the windpipe. This intermediary structure ensures that air can pass around the cap even when the cap is concentric with the windpipe, while still allowing the inner housing to provide effective sealing.
2Ease of operation
If the cap is made small to fit pediatric patients, then ease of use is improved, but the cap can become lodged in the airway more easily
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is divided into two separate housings: an inner housing that seals the needleless connector to prevent contamination, and an outer housing that provides a vented pathway around the cap. This segmentation allows the cap to maintain sealing functionality while creating a separate air passage that prevents airway blockage if the cap becomes lodged in the patient's throat.
Solution Approach 2:
The vented pathway and support structure are built into the cap design beforehand to prevent the harmful effect of airway blockage. The support structure proactively keeps the vented pathway open and positioned away from the windpipe, preventing the cap from blocking the airway even when it becomes lodged in pediatric patients.
3Reliability
If the cap is designed to lock securely to prevent accidental removal, then reliability is improved, but the cap cannot be removed quickly in emergency situations
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is designed to be dynamic rather than static - it provides secure locking during normal use but can be quickly released when needed. The support structure and vented pathway remain functional during the locking state, allowing air to pass around the cap while maintaining secure attachment to the needleless connector.
Data Source
AI summary
A needleless connector caps is provided with one or more vents allowing air to pass around the cap, for example in a case where a cap may be accidentally lodged in a position completely concentric with a patient's throat. Configuration of structural elements making up a cap exterior can provide one or more openings or channels in the cap that remain unblocked and extend from the base to the top side of the cap forming one or more vents allowing air to pass through the cap.