Medical Ventilator Safety Couplers with Asymmetric Keying
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current ventilator systems face challenges in accurately connecting pulsatile gas supply lines and sensory gas pressure lines due to the risk of operator error, despite color-coded connections, which can lead to improper attachment and compromised patient care.
Innovation Solution
A unique interlocking male and female coupler system with radially widening sloped transitional edges, circumferential grooves, and winglets that form a male fence, ensuring correct alignment and preventing misconnection by creating a tension force that compresses the female coupler's terminal edge for a secure seal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If color-coded pneumatic connecting lines and ports are used, then improper gas line connection errors are reduced, but operator connecting errors can still occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by designing unique male-female coupling geometries for different gas lines. Each coupling system has asymmetric shapes that are incompatible with mismatched connections, ensuring that pulsatile gas lines can only connect to pulsatile gas ports and sensory gas lines can only connect to sensory gas ports. This physical asymmetry eliminates operator error by making incorrect connections mechanically impossible.
2Reliability
If a unique male-female coupling system is implemented, then operator connecting error probability is greatly reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the coupling system into distinct male and female components with specific geometric features. Each coupling interface is divided into incompatible shapes (e.g., rectangular with rounded corners vs. triangular, or different diameters) that can only mate with their designated partner. This segmentation allows for simple individual components that achieve high reliability when combined, without requiring complex assembly mechanisms.
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 coupler system significantly reduces operator error by ensuring correct attachment of pulsatile gas and sensory lines, maintaining accurate gas pressure and flow, and preventing fatigue failures through stress relief features, thus enhancing the reliability of ventilator operations.
Implementation Method 1
A female receiving cavity is formed in a female receiving wall. The exterior facing female edge on the female coupler includes, in one embodiment, a radially widening sloped transitional edge which forms an exposed external edge for the female receiving cavity.
Implementation Method 2
winglets that form a male fence, ensuring correct alignment and preventing misconnection by creating a tension force that compresses the female coupler's terminal edge for a secure seal
Implementation Method 3
the female receiving wall has first and second circumferential grooves wherein a first groove forms a radially narrow circumferential cavity having an entranceway circumference and an entranceway longitudinal span. The second circumferential groove forms a radially larger circumferential cavity and the first and second circumferential cavities are defined and bounded by a delimiting edge.
Data Source
AI summary
Distinctly keyed male-female couplers are pneumatically connected to medical ventilator by distinct lines carrying pulsatile gas or sensory signals. Ventilator-mounted female coupler has entranceway cavity and larger receiving cavity delimited by catch edge. Male fence-forming longitudinal winglets extend from sealing plate carry terminal end convexities which latch onto catch edge. Winglets move inward due to larger fence circumference than entranceway and seat on catch. Winglets placed in tension due to locking length less than entranceway span, then convert force into sealing compressive force between sealing plate and female tube end. Conjoining male tube bayoneted and sheathed by projecting female tube, resulting in another gas seal. Two compressive seals formed between male distal port and pneumatic line. Extending male key(s) on winglet insertable into matching female slots. Convexities block insertion of non-matching couplers set due to interference by convexities on female on entranceway edges.