Waist-Opening Fluid Collection Assembly for Leak-Free Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid collection devices such as bed pans and urinary catheters are uncomfortable, prone to spills, and can cause urinary tract infections, while conventional collection assemblies require adhesives and may become displaced during movement, leading to hygiene issues and reduced mobility.
Innovation Solution
A fluid collection assembly with a fluid impermeable barrier defining a waist opening and leg openings, incorporating a porous material that conforms to the barrier, and a vacuum system to withdraw bodily fluids, allowing for continuous use and high mobility without leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bed pans and urinary catheters are used for fluid collection, then fluid collection function is achieved, but comfort and hygiene are worsened due to discomfort, spills, and urinary tract infections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a porous material layer that conforms to the user's body contours, providing comfort while maintaining fluid collection functionality. The porous structure allows for breathability and skin contact without causing discomfort or hygiene issues, directly addressing the harmful factors associated with traditional bed pans and catheters.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid collection assembly uses a flexible barrier layer that can conform to body movements and positions. This flexible design eliminates the rigidity and discomfort of traditional devices, allowing users to move freely while maintaining effective fluid collection and preventing spills.
2Reliability
If conventional collection assemblies use adhesives to attach to the body, then fluid collection is achieved, but mobility is worsened due to displacement during movement
Solution Approach 1:
The porous material layer provides a conformable, body-adhering surface that maintains attachment during movement without requiring adhesives. The material's flexibility and conformability ensure the assembly remains in place during user movement, eliminating displacement issues while preserving mobility.
Solution Approach 2:
The assembly is designed with dynamic flexibility, allowing the barrier layer to move with the user's body contours and positions. This dynamic design ensures the assembly adapts to movement rather than resisting it, preventing displacement while maintaining fluid collection reliability.
3Device complexity
If the porous material is positioned away from the urethral opening, then the assembly structure is simplified, but fluid collection efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by positioning the porous material specifically adjacent to the urethral opening where it is most needed for fluid collection. This localized placement maximizes fluid collection efficiency while keeping the overall assembly structure simple and uncluttered.
Solution Approach 2:
The porous material is pre-positioned adjacent to the urethral opening during assembly, ensuring it is already in the optimal location to receive and collect bodily fluids as soon as the user begins to urinate. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need for complex adjustment mechanisms while ensuring immediate and efficient fluid collection.
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 assembly maintains the porous material adjacent to the urethral opening during movement, efficiently collects and removes bodily fluids, reducing skin degradation and discomfort, and allows for prolonged use without replacement.
Implementation Method 1
receiving bodily fluids from an individual wearing the fluid collection assembly into at least one porous material of the fluid collection assembly
Implementation Method 2
a vacuum source configured to apply a suction force to the fluid collection assembly to withdraw one or more bodily fluids therefrom
Data Source
AI summary
Fluid collection assemblies and systems and methods of using the same are disclosed herein. An example fluid collection assembly includes a fluid impermeable barrier. The fluid impermeable barrier at least partially defines a waist opening and two leg openings. The waist opening and the two leg openings are configured to have a waist and two legs of an individual positioned therein, respectively. The fluid impermeable barrier also defines at least one fluid outlet. The fluid collection assembly further includes at least one porous material conforming to at least a portion of the fluid impermeable barrier. The porous material may be adjacent to the outlet defined by the fluid impermeable barrier.