Integrated Cannula and Needle Assembly for Sterile Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cannula insertion methods require a separate incision with a needle, followed by needle removal and cannula threading, which is cumbersome and increases the risk of contamination and expense due to the need for multiple needle and cannula use.
Innovation Solution
A cannula and needle assembly where the needle creates a hole and remains in place to guide the blunt cannula insertion, eliminating the need for needle removal and recapping, and allowing for reuse if sterility is maintained.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the needle is removed after creating the incision, then the cannula can be threaded through the hole, but the process becomes cumbersome and increases contamination risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the needle and cannula into a single integrated assembly where the cannula is permanently attached to the needle shaft. This eliminates the need to separate and reassemble components, reducing manipulation steps and contamination risk while maintaining ease of insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle shaft acts as an intermediary guide structure that remains in place during cannula insertion. The cannula is threaded through the hollow needle shaft, which provides a protected pathway and eliminates the need to find and re-enter the skin hole after needle removal.
2Ease of operation
If a larger needle is used to create a larger hole, then cannula insertion is easier, but the expense and waste increase due to multiple needle and cannula use
Solution Approach 1:
By permanently attaching the cannula to the needle, the invention allows reuse of the entire assembly. The integrated design maintains proper alignment and sterility, enabling the same needle-cannula combination to be used multiple times on different patients or sites, reducing medical supply waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle-cannula assembly serves multiple functions: the needle creates the incision, the needle shaft guides the cannula insertion, and the combined structure can be reused. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate needle and cannula components, reducing overall consumption.
3Reliability
If the needle is removed and discarded, then sterility is maintained, but the complexity and cost of the procedure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The permanent attachment of cannula to needle creates a single disposable or reusable unit that maintains sterility throughout the procedure. The integrated design eliminates multiple handling steps, component transfers, and reassembly operations that would compromise sterility or increase procedural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cannula is pre-attached to the needle in a sterile manufacturing process, eliminating the need for sterile assembly in the clinical setting. This preliminary preparation simplifies the procedural steps while maintaining sterility, as the assembly arrives ready-to-use as a single unit.
Data Source
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AI summary
A cannula and needle assembly configured to first have the needle assembly create an opening in the skin of a person or animal and to then insert the cannula through the needle into the person or animal by way of the opening created by the needle. The assembly also includes structure to yieldably maintain the needle assembly in a docked position.