Is my DIY sinus irrigation pump safe?

[TomCruise]

Hey all, a little bit of an off topic question but... I don't claim to know anything about electronics or electricity but I attempted to make my own sinus irrigation pump instead of buying the 160$ one in the store to deal with my terrible sinus problems. However, I started wondering if I am sending harmful currents through my brain basically and just wanted to double check with some smart folk who know what they're doing.

This pump is a totally sealed and submersible pump. The stator is totally sealed off and water tight from the rotor. I'm powering this via a 12V 2A laptop charger. All electronics are completely isolated from the rotor, however, i just wanted to double check that the rotor is not picking up electromagnetic currents or something and passing them along in the output water into my sinuses lol.

I checked with a cheap voltmeter / ammeter in a bowl and the water showed 0 volts but i just wanted to double check.

Thanks for any feedback

https://app.photobucket.com/u/sanitysource/p/8d7fb4cd-690a-42d2-b7f7-1ed623c6e542
https://app.photobucket.com/u/sanitysource/p/9920ebbe-b57f-4a47-a7dd-38cea0fc62ad
https://app.photobucket.com/u/sanitysource/p/7531f502-5df4-482d-95a1-688765d42432
https://app.photobucket.com/u/sanitysource/p/33a5c725-d742-4516-9405-6ab3f75ac72c

[VK3DRB]

Tom, your net worth is $600 million. Don't be such a miser and go pay the $160. Or see if Nicole has a spare one lying around. Great to see you are starting to see the light and getting into electronics. Just think... you could have done electronics from the start and one benefit is your knowledge of electronics would have attracted a lot more chicks. Pay isn't as good though. 

Seriously, if whatever goes up your nose is NON-CONDUCTIVE, you might be OK. If it is conductive, the leakage currents from that switch-mode power supply will be an issue and there would be a current path to earth. As the power supply is NOT an medical approved power supply, don't even consider this if those tubes are metallic. Also, mucus might be conductive too (never tested it). The multimeter you used should be set to AC and check the voltage on the metallic parts with respect to earth.

By the way, I liked Top Gun.

[james_s]

Electrically I'm sure it will be fine, if you want to be extra careful then run it from a battery or get a medical rated power supply.

From a medical standpoint I have no idea though, I'm not a doctor and I don't know what risks it might involve pumping water into your sinuses. I'd want to talk to a medical expert or at least have my hands on a commercial unit to get a feel for how it works, the pressure and volume involved and other aspects.

[JohnnyMalaria]

You don't want to irrigate with water - it will irritate your nasal passages. You need to use salty water at the same ionic concentration as physiological fluid. That's about 9g of common table salt per one liter of water.

But why not just do what I do? Make up the solution in a bowl, stick your nose in and snort. Or use a neti pot: https://breathefreely.com/5-things-know-neti-pots/

BTW, whatever water you use, make sure it is sterile (e.g., you have boiled it first).

[NiHaoMike]

Power it from batteries and that will eliminate any concerns of leakage current.

[DrG]

I am glad that you are concerned enough to ask. I'm not a clinician of any kind, but my opinion is that you should not use that device.

The risk of electric shock may be low - I am not sure, but that has been addressed.

I am assuming that the flow rate is slow enough to avoid damage.

As has been stated, the solution absolutely needs to be sterile. Whether it is isotonic or hypertonic saline may be of some debate https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Hypertonic-Saline-Versus-Isotonic-Saline-Nasal-and-Kanjanawasee-Seresirikachorn/948656b63acf6feb27fc0f6a88d2a3dbadcf4664

US FDA seems to say that sterile water is also fine.
https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/rinsing-your-sinuses-neti-pots-safe


Maybe I am seeing it wrong (it doesn't look like any peristaltic pump I have seen), but what I don't like is where the fluid seems to go through the pump and before it gets to your nose - is that sterile? How do you keep it sterile? How do you prevent that paint from chipping or degrading and getting into the solution?

Low risk? I don't know, but since you are going to be using it a lot (daily, perhaps?), it is a consideration. Sinus infections can be a real problem.One of the advantages of purchasing a device that has some regulations connected with it is that some of these issues have been addressed.

Not trying to start an argument or anything like that. You asked for some feedback - I say, buy one that is approved for that use. I see them well under $160 in the US and including those that are battery operated - of course the manual bulb/syringe types are cheaper. Even the artsy-fartsy gravity devices are not too expensive.


BTW: I did like you in the Color of Money

[amyk]

This pump is a totally sealed and submersible pump. The stator is totally sealed off and water tight from the rotor. I'm powering this via a 12V 2A laptop charger. All electronics are completely isolated from the rotor, however, i just wanted to double check that the rotor is not picking up electromagnetic currents or something and passing them along in the output water into my sinuses lol.

If this is a "wet rotor" type pump, same as what is used in aquariums, then there definitely will not be any leakage current into the water.

[Rick Law]

Actually, when I saw such an item advertised on TV, I was a little surprised.  I thought it was something so simple that one should not need to buy a complicated product to do it.  Besides, sticking a tube/nozzle inside your nose would mean that you should be cleaning it every time before and after use.  Bacteria could cause more problem than anything else.

This is a bit more personal than I would like, but I suppose this topic requires it.

Years ago, I love swimming, but that was about 20 million cigarettes ago. I noticed how much stuff would came out of my nose immediately after I got out of the water...

One time I had a cold.  I know that cold virus tends to grow in the nose, so I thought it may be a good idea to keep my nose clean (literally).  Recalling my swimming experience, that gave me an idea...

I use a simple spray bottle to squeeze bottle to squeeze a stream of water up my nose.    I am cheap, I washed out an empty shampoo bottle as my squeeze bottle.  That initial spray starts softening things up.  I kept the inside of the nose stay moist for a few minutes (while I do other things like brushing my teeth).  Then, I do another spray and this time I blow it out.  It works nicely.  I did not have to make or clean anything afterward.  Nothing else goes into the nose but water.

It is even simpler when I am taking a shower.  I merely use the shower head to do it.  Spray at the start and after I washed my body, do another spray a few minutes later and blow.

I've been doing that every day for decades now.  I actually believe the nose cleaning reduces seasonal colds/flu.  I have colds very infrequently since I begun keeping my nose clean -- even after long flights.  Simple sniffling rarely turns into colds.  My cold frequency at most one per two years.  All but once I had a cold that lasted long than a couple of days.

[george.b]

I think I would have used a peristaltic pump instead. Extremely well-insulated and easier to sanitize.

[richnormand]

Ya. Sure.

DIY pump and stuff....
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/brain-eating-amoeba-linked-to-nasal-rinse-for-seattle-woman-1.4935966
How sterile is the whole thing?

Please just be careful with more than the electrical aspect.

[SiliconWizard]

I'd second that. I'd be worried about bacteria growth inside the pump and tubing.

[coppercone2]

Power it from batteries and that will eliminate any concerns of leakage current.