Originally Published EMDM January 2006
Technology News: IV Components
Sound Engineering Improves Catheter Connector
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| Two-component injection moulding enables the production of an improved catheter connector. |
Automobiles and catheter connectors are not often mentioned in the same sentence. Yet the sound a car door makes as it shuts played a role in the design of a new-generation connector developed by Raumedic AG (Münchberg, Germany) and B. Braun Melsungen AG (Melsungen, Germany). The acoustic element is one of several features of the “click-to-close” connector.
Unlike conventional Tuohy-Borst screw-cap devices, the new connector can be manipulated with one hand. Increased grip strength makes the clip design more secure than conventional couplings, providing additional safety during high-pressure injections using small-volume syringes. A transparent hinge indicates when the connector is closed by visibly compressing the nonlatex seal. This allows the user to verify the correct position of the catheter inside the coupling. Designing in visual verification was only the start, however.
“B. Braun also required us to take acoustics into account,” explains Thomas Jakob, a senior engineer at Raumedic AG. “Similar to the automobile industry’s concern with the sound a car door makes when it is closed, our customer had specific demands for an audible design.” Consequently, the connector makes a clicking sound when it is engaged, giving audible feedback that it is secure.
Custom two-component injection moulding machines are used to produce the connectors. The 900-kN injection moulding machine fuses the connector’s hard outer case with a soft inner seal, which simplifies assembly and strengthens the seal connection. Manufacturing is fully automated and optically validated. A production volume of several million pieces annually can be achieved.
According to B. Braun, all of its epidural and nerve-blocking products will eventually use the new connector. The connector received the Red Dot award for production design in 2003, as well as an award from the German Design Council in 2004.
Copyright ©2006 European Medical Device Manufacturer
