Development of an endoscopic irrigation pump experience with Byrne Medical, Inc.

Abstract

As an intern with Byrne Medical Inc., I took part in several development and validation projects for medical products. A design project for a medical irrigation pump for endoscopic procedure is the focus for my Doctor of Engineering degree. This project represents the scope and depth of a typical design project for a medical device. In this dissertation, a summary of motors used in current medical irrigation pumps available in the market, as well as their flow rates, is presented. A procedure of typical product design process is followed and a working prototype of endoscopic irrigation pump is designed and fabricated. The objective of the project was to design and fabricate a working prototype of a medical irrigation pump to be used for endoscopic procedures with standard videoscopes in the medical field. Currently there are no irrigation pumps that satisfy physicians’ needs. By manufacturing their own pump, Byrne Medical would be able to select a host of the positive features noted on other pumps and combine those features into a single pump that fits both the technical and user needs. The author made improvements in the areas of appearance, size, usability, functionality, product life, and ability to vary motor speed, and therefore the flow rate. Flow rate of the prototype was tested by measuring the amount of water it was able to pump per minute (milliliter per minute). Each tubing set was attached and secured onto the prototype unit and adjust the speed control to the maximum flow. The power switch was turned on and the pump was running continuously for twenty seconds. Water was collected and weighted with a digital scale. The amount of water (in pounds) per twenty seconds was then converted to milliliter per minute. Physicians in the GI (Gastroenterology) suites prefer an irrigation pump that rotates backward when they turn the power off to prevent the sterile water from dripping. A Multi-function Timer (model H3DE-M2) manufactured by Omron was selected for future improvement. A working prototype (previously fabricated) was tested with this DPDT timer and the result proved the improvement was achievable.