Safety Catheter Needle With Magnetic Tip Locking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety catheters face challenges in preventing accidental punctures and contamination of health professionals due to the difficulty in effectively immobilizing the cannula tip and managing body fluids, with known solutions being complex, costly, and prone to malfunction.
Innovation Solution
A safety catheter design utilizing a passive magnetic torque system with a containment body and a second rotating body, where the cannula is immobilized using magnetic attraction and repulsion forces, eliminating the need for manual activation and minimizing the risk of fluid leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If resilient elements are used to immobilize the cannula, then the cannula is secured within the protective body, but the excessive retraction speed causes body fluid splashing, high noise, and vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the resilient mechanical system with a magnetic field-based system. Magnets are positioned within the protective body to attract and hold the cannula tip in place, eliminating the need for resilient elements that cause rapid retraction, splashing, noise, and vibration. The magnetic attraction provides controlled, gradual immobilization without the harmful effects of elastic rebound.
2Reliability
If telescopic systems or sliding shells are used to protect the cannula, then the tip is protected after extraction, but manual activation is required and lateral or frontal openings may allow fluid leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The protective body is designed to automatically cover the cannula tip upon insertion into the catheter holder, without requiring manual activation. The cannula tip passes through the protective body during insertion, and the magnetic immobilization system automatically engages to secure the tip, eliminating the need for manual operation while maintaining protection integrity.
3Reliability
If separate magnetic bodies are used to close off the passage, then the tip is secured after extraction, but the bodies must be very close together requiring tight construction tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the magnetic immobilization function with the structure of the protective body itself. Magnets are integrated into the protective body housing, eliminating the need for separate, closely-spaced magnetic bodies. This integration allows for more relaxed construction tolerances while maintaining effective magnetic attraction and passage closure.
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 provides reliable, long-term protection against accidental punctures and fluid leakage, ensuring the cannula tip remains inaccessible and secure, reducing the risk of infection transmission while being simpler to manufacture and assemble.
Implementation Method 1
provision is made for a magnet capable of immobilising the cannula within the containment body
Implementation Method 2
a safety device surrounding a portion of the cannula; this safety device comprises a safety body or container (safety housing) containing at least one magnet (a permanent magnet or an electromagnet powered by a battery) which is capable of causing an element blocking an opening in such body through which the tip of the cannula passes
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Safety catheter needle comprising a cannula (11) removably inserted in a catheter (14) and associated with a cannula holder (4), the catheter being associated with a catheter holder (3) attached to said cannula holder (4), the cannula (11) having a distal extremity (11B) capable of sliding within the catheter (14), provision being made for a protection device (8) capable of accommodating the distal extremity (11B) of the cannula (11) after extraction from the catheter (14) and comprising magnetically cooperating bodies (12, 13) capable of immobilising said distal extremity (11B) of the cannula (11) within said protection device (8); said bodies are a first body (13) and a second body (12) which are at least partly magnetised, the second body (12) being located transversely and rotatably within the first body (13), said second body (12) being rotated by magnetic repulsion within said first body (13) when the distal extremity (11B) of the cannula (11) is within the protection device (8) so as to prevent said distal extremity (11B) of the cannula (11) from emerging from said protection device (8).