Catheter Needle Shield Reduces Drag Force
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The withdrawal of intravenous catheters is challenging due to friction-based drag forces, which can lead to dislodgement of the catheter from the insertion site, posing a risk of needle-stick injury and blood exposure for clinicians.
Innovation Solution
A catheter system featuring a needle assembly with a spring clip and a needle tip shield, designed to reduce friction-based drag forces during needle withdrawal by blocking the distal opening and preventing the needle from exiting, thus maintaining catheter stability and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the needle is withdrawn from the intravenous catheter, then the clinician can avoid needle-stick injury and blood exposure, but friction-based drag force may lead to dislodgement of the catheter from the insertion site
Solution Approach 1:
The needle assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: a needle hub, a needle tip shield, and a drag reduction feature. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently - the shield provides safety while the drag reduction feature minimizes friction during withdrawal, resolving the contradiction between safety and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle tip shield acts as an intermediary element between the needle and the external environment. It provides a barrier that prevents needle-stick injuries and blood exposure during needle withdrawal, while the drag reduction feature serves as an intermediary mechanism that reduces friction between the needle and catheter, allowing safe withdrawal without catheter dislodgement.
2Stability of the object's composition
If friction-based drag force is reduced during needle withdrawal, then catheter dislodgement is prevented, but the mechanism to reduce drag increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The drag reduction feature changes the physical parameters of the needle-catheter interface by providing a tapered surface that reduces the coefficient of friction during needle withdrawal. This parameter change allows the needle to be withdrawn with minimal drag force, preventing catheter dislodgement while maintaining a relatively simple device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The drag reduction feature is designed to automatically reduce friction during the needle withdrawal process without requiring additional active components or complex mechanisms. The tapered geometry self-generates the drag-reducing effect as the needle moves through the catheter, eliminating the need for powered or mechanically complex solutions.
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 catheter system effectively reduces the likelihood of catheter dislodgement and needle-stick injuries by minimizing friction-induced drag forces during needle withdrawal, enhancing both clinician safety and catheter stability.
Implementation Method 1
friction-based drag force as the needle is withdrawn from the intravenous catheter
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C~1D
AI summary
A catheter system may include a needle assembly coupled to a catheter adapter. The needle assembly may include a housing, an introducer needle, a proximal opening, a distal opening, and a needle tip shield feature. A distal tip of the introducer needle may be configured to be proximally withdrawn from a first position to a second position in which a bump feature of the introducer needle is prevented from moving through the proximal opening. In response to withdrawal of the distal tip proximally from the second position to a third position, the needle tip shield feature may be released to block the distal opening. The needle tip shield feature may not contact the introducer needle when the distal tip moves proximally from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the third position, which may reduce a friction-based drag force on the introducer needle.