Catheter Introducer Needle Shield with Blocking Ball
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical devices with needles lack effective mechanisms to prevent the needle tip from being exposed again after shielding, posing risks of infectious disease transmission and improper needle handling.
Innovation Solution
A catheter introducer assembly with a needle shield assembly that includes a blocking object, such as a ball, which is biased by a spring to maintain contact with the needle's outer surface in a non-shielding position and enters the needle's internal lumen in a shielding position, preventing distal movement and ensuring the needle remains shielded.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a needle shield assembly is provided to shield the needle, then the risk of infectious disease transmission is reduced, but the needle tip may still be exposed again due to lack of effective prevention mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by providing a blocking object (ball or roller) that proactively prevents the needle tip from being exposed again after shielding. The blocking object is positioned to intercept and prevent any potential needle movement that would cause exposure, thereby counteracting the harmful effect before it can occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking object serves as an intermediary element between the needle and the external environment. This intermediary component physically blocks the needle tip from exposure while allowing the needle to remain in its shielded position, thus mediating the interaction between the needle and potential sources of infection.
2Reliability
If a blocking object is used to prevent needle movement, then the needle remains shielded, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle shield assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: the shield housing, the blocking object (ball or roller), the spring mechanism, and the holder. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, making the overall system more manageable and easier to manufacture despite the increased complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a complex locking mechanism to prevent needle movement, the patent inverts the approach by using a simple blocking object that passively prevents exposure. The spring mechanism provides the necessary force to maintain the blocking object in position, eliminating the need for complex active control systems.
3Force
If a spring is used to bias the blocking object, then the blocking force is maintained, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The spring mechanism is designed to be self-contained within the holder, requiring no external power source or complex control system. The spring automatically maintains the blocking object in position through its inherent elastic force, and the entire assembly can be manufactured as a integrated unit using standard manufacturing processes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively prevents the needle tip from being exposed, enhancing safety by ensuring the needle remains shielded, thereby reducing the risk of infectious disease transmission and improving handling protocols.
Implementation Method 1
the holder has a spring which imparts a force to bias the blocking object towards the outer surface of the needle in the first, non-shielding position
Data Source
AI summary
A needle assembly with a needle shield is disclosed. The shield includes a lumen slidable on the needle, a holder and a needle blocking object which moves at least partially into the lumen in order to block distal movement of the needle. A spring biases the blocking object towards the needle axis. Proximal movement of the needle relative to the shield is limited by a restraint in the form of a discontinuity on the needle which abuts the shield, a tether or a tube abutting the needle hub. When the needle shield moves from a non-shielding position to a shielding position, the needle blocking object moves at least partially into the lumen. The needle blocking object is radially and axially constrained in the shielding position. The holder also prevents radial, longitudinal and circumferential movement of the blocking object. In one embodiment, the needle blocking object is a ball. A catheter adapter and tube may be threaded over the needle. The needle blocking object may also lock the catheter adapter to the needle shield, allowing it to be released only when the needle is shielded.