Blood Transfer Shield for Safe Fluid Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fluid transfer processes, such as blood transfer in phlebotomy, pose risks of unwanted blood or needle exposure to healthcare workers due to the lack of a closed transfer system, leading to potential bloodborne pathogen exposure and needle stick injuries.
Innovation Solution
A fluid transfer shield system that includes a shield with a first port for coupling a syringe and a second port for coupling a secondary container, featuring a passageway for safe fluid transfer while minimizing blood spray, along with design elements like tapered geometry and air relief paths to prevent vacuum interruptions and enhance leak-free coupling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a closed transfer system is used, then safety against blood exposure is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into distinct functional components: a shield body providing containment, a first port for syringe connection, a second port for secondary container connection, and internal passageways for fluid transfer. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while maintaining overall system simplicity and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield acts as an intermediary device between the syringe and secondary container, providing a controlled environment for fluid transfer. The shield contains the transfer process and prevents direct exposure to blood, while the ports and passageways mediate the fluid flow between containers without requiring complex external systems.
2Productivity
If ports extend into interior space for fluid coupling, then fluid transfer effectiveness is improved, but risk of needle stick injury increases
Solution Approach 1:
The second port is nested within the shield's interior space, with the shield laterally surrounding the port. This nesting arrangement allows the port to extend into the interior space for effective fluid coupling while the shield provides protective containment, preventing needle stick injuries by containing any potential needle exposure within the shield structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield provides a protective enclosure that acts as a barrier between the user and potential hazardous elements. The shield's structure allows fluid transfer while maintaining protection, effectively creating a safe zone that prevents needle stick injuries during the transfer process.
3Reliability
If second port extends deeper into interior space for better coupling, then fluid transfer reliability is improved, but blood spray containment effectiveness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The shield provides localized protection around the second port where fluid transfer occurs. The lateral surrounding structure is positioned to contain blood spray at the critical interface between the port and secondary container, while allowing the port to extend sufficiently for reliable coupling. This local quality approach ensures both reliability and containment effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for shielded fluid transfer are provided. A fluid transfer shield is provided to facilitate transferring fluid from a first container to a secondary container. The fluid transfer shield includes a shield having an exterior and defining an interior space, a first port extending from the exterior of the shield, the first port configured to be fluidly coupled to the first container, and a second port extending opposite the first port and into the interior space of the shield so that the shield laterally surrounds the second port, the second port configured to be fluidly coupled to the secondary container. A passageway is provided that extends between the first port and the second port to fluidly couple the first container and the secondary container when the first container is fluidly coupled to the first port and the secondary container is fluidly coupled to the second port.