Cannula Shielding Device with Retention Catch Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing needle assemblies with safety shields are costly and require conscious effort to use, making them inconvenient for repeated use without inadvertently releasing the shield, which is a challenge in medical procedures like bone marrow sampling.

Innovation Solution

A safety device with a shaft and catch mechanism that shields the cannula tip and prevents accidental withdrawal, allowing for easy reset and reuse of the needle assembly without releasing the shield.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a safety shield mechanism is added to the needle assembly, then protection against sharp tips is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection against sharp tipsVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The safety shield is segmented into multiple components: a shield body, a retention member with arms, and a release mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently while maintaining overall simplicity. The shield can be activated and deactivated without complicating the entire needle assembly design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The shield mechanism is designed to be self-retaining through the retention member that automatically holds the shield in its protective position. The system serves itself by using the same shaft and retention structure to both activate and secure the shield, eliminating the need for additional complex locking mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If the safety shield is secured to the needle assembly, then protection reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to conscious effort required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection reliabilityVSAvoidease of operation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The shield is preliminarily positioned and secured by the retention member before use. The retention arms are pre-configured to engage with the shield, ensuring it remains in the protective position without requiring continuous conscious effort from the operator. The shield is activated in advance and maintains its position automatically.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the shield is held in place over the needle tip, then protection against accidental exposure is improved, but ability to reuse the needle assembly deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection against accidental exposureVSAvoidability to reuse

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The shield mechanism is designed to be dynamic rather than fixed. The retention member can transition between engaged and disengaged states, allowing the shield to be securely held during use and then easily released for needle reuse. This dynamic design enables the system to adapt between protection mode and reuse mode without permanent modification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The shield is temporarily activated during the sampling procedure and then recovered (deactivated) when the procedure is complete. The retention member allows the shield to be discarded from its protective position without damaging the needle assembly, enabling recovery and reuse of the needle for additional sampling if needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

4Ease of operation

If a complex release mechanism is added to allow shield deactivation, then ease of reset for reuse is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of reset for reuseVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The release function is merged with the existing shaft and retention member structure. The same components that secure the shield also enable its release through simple axial movement of the shaft. This merging eliminates the need for separate complex release mechanisms while maintaining ease of reset for needle reuse.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS8523809B2Device for shielding a sharp tip of a cannula and method of using the same

Publication Date: 2013.09.03 CARDINAL HEALTH IRELAND UNLIMITED CO

AI summary

A safety device for shielding a sharp tip of a tubular needle includes a shaft sized and shaped for being received into the passage of the tubular needle through a first end of the passage and extending to a second end of the passage. A shield is associated with the shaft and is constructed for receiving and substantially shielding the sharp tip of the needle. A catch is associated with the shaft. The catch prevents the withdrawal of the shaft from the passage of the needle when the shield is shielding the sharp tip of the needle.