Safety Blood Collection Needle with Flash Indicator and Shield
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing needle assemblies for blood collection are cumbersome, prone to accidental needle sticks, and lack efficient visual confirmation of vein access, leading to increased patient discomfort and procedural time.
Innovation Solution
A needle assembly with a visual flash indicator and a safety shield that transitions from a retracted to an extended position, providing visual confirmation of vein access and shielding the needle tip to prevent exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a safety shield is added to the needle assembly, then the risk of accidental needle exposure is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety shield is nested within the housing structure, allowing it to be stored inside the housing when not in use and deployed outward when needed. This nesting approach provides shielding functionality while minimizing the overall increase in device complexity and maintaining a compact form factor.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety shield is designed as a movable component that can transition between a retracted position (stored within housing) and an extended position (deployed to shield the needle). This dynamic design allows the shield to provide protection only when needed, reducing complexity during normal operation while maintaining reliability when required.
2Ease of operation
If a visual flash indicator is added to confirm vein access, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flash chamber utilizes color changes or visual flash indicators to provide immediate feedback on vein access status. When the needle successfully enters the vein, a visual flash or color change occurs in the flash chamber, giving the operator clear confirmation of proper insertion without adding complex electronic displays or indicators.
Solution Approach 2:
The flash chamber acts as an intermediary visual indicator between the needle and the operator. It translates the physical act of vein insertion into a visible flash or color change, providing intuitive feedback without requiring the operator to directly observe the needle tip or use complex monitoring systems.
3Productivity
If the needle assembly is designed for easy operation, then the procedural time is reduced, but the reliability of safe needle shielding may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The safety shield is pre-positioned within the housing in a retracted state, ready to be deployed immediately after needle insertion. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need for the operator to manually assemble or position the shield, reducing procedural time while ensuring reliable shielding is automatically available after use.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety shield is designed to be self-deploying or easily activated through a simple mechanism (such as a button or automatic trigger) that initiates shielding without requiring complex manual manipulation. This self-service approach reduces the time needed for shielding while maintaining reliable protection through consistent, repeatable activation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A needle assembly is disclosed. The needle assembly includes a housing having a flash chamber, and having a distal end and a proximal end engageable with a specimen collection container. The assembly includes a cannula having a patient end, a non-patient end, and a sidewall extending therebetween defining a cannula interior. The patient end of the cannula projects at least partially from the distal end of the housing, and the cannula interior is in fluid communication with the flash chamber. The assembly further includes a shield restrainably engaged with a portion of the housing and axially transitionable over the patient cannula from a retracted position in which the patient end is exposed, to an extended position in which the patient end is shielded by at least a portion of the shield, wherein at least a portion of the flash chamber is visible in the retracted position.