Closed System Catheter Snap-Fit Hub Assembly With Anti-Rotation Ribs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional intravenous catheters require adhesives and ultrasonic welding for assembly, which are costly and labor-intensive, and lack effective mechanisms to inhibit rotation of components and improve skin contact during insertion.
Innovation Solution
A snap-fit assembly design for catheter hubs that eliminates the need for adhesives and ultrasonic welding, incorporating a septum retainer with lateral ribs to inhibit rotation and a wing design for improved skin contact, along with a needle insertion device featuring a passive release mechanism and a vent cap for air purging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If adhesives and ultrasonic welding are used for catheter hub assembly, then assembly strength and reliability are improved, but manufacturing cost and labor requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical bonding (adhesives) and ultrasonic welding with a purely mechanical snap-fit assembly system. The catheter hub components feature complementary geometric profiles with engagement features such as ribs, slots, and tapered surfaces that mechanically interlock to provide secure assembly without requiring adhesives or ultrasonic welding equipment, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining assembly reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter hub is divided into multiple separable components (e.g., hub body, septum retainer, wing assembly) that can be independently manufactured and then quickly assembled through snap-fit mechanisms. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized separately and assembled rapidly without complex bonding processes, reducing both manufacturing complexity and labor requirements while maintaining overall assembly reliability
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional catheter hub design is used, then component assembly is achieved, but rotation of components and catheter hub relative to needle insertion device cannot be inhibited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates asymmetric geometric features such as non-circular engagement profiles, offset ribs, and shaped slots in the catheter hub components. These asymmetric features create mechanical interference that prevents rotational movement of components relative to each other and prevents rotation of the catheter hub relative to the needle insertion device, providing inherent anti-rotation stability without requiring complex additional mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter hub components are designed with pre-formed geometric constraints and engagement features that automatically prevent rotation upon assembly. The asymmetric profiles and interlocking geometries are built into the component designs themselves, so that rotation inhibition is achieved automatically through the basic assembly action without requiring separate anti-rotation mechanisms or additional steps
3Ease of operation
If conventional wing design is used, then catheter hub structure is maintained, but skin contact during insertion is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the catheter hub wing design into the dimensional space adjacent to the insertion site, creating broad surface areas that contact the patient's skin during insertion and stabilization. The wings project laterally from the hub body in directions perpendicular to the catheter axis, providing extensive skin contact surfaces that improve ease of operation and patient comfort without significantly increasing overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The catheter hub wings are designed with specific local geometric features including surface textures, contours, and contact area optimizations tailored for skin interaction. The wing surfaces incorporate quality enhancements such as friction-modifying textures or conformal shapes that improve skin contact and stabilization during insertion, while the rest of the hub structure maintains its fundamental design without unnecessary complexity
4Adaptability or versatility
If needle insertion device without passive release mechanism is used, then insertion function is achieved, but air purging and venting capability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter hub and needle insertion device are designed with integrated multi-functional features, including a passive release mechanism that simultaneously provides air purging and venting capabilities alongside the primary insertion function. The geometric design of the hub components and connection interfaces incorporates air vent pathways and release mechanisms that serve multiple purposes: facilitating catheter insertion, purging trapped air, and venting pressure, thereby enhancing adaptability without proportionally increasing device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A catheter hub assembly. The catheter hub assembly includes a catheter hub body, a septum and a septum retainer, the catheter hub body having a distal end, a proximal and an internal wall defining an internal fluid passageway therebetween, the internal wall defining a transitional step within the internal fluid passageway, the septum positioned within the internal fluid passageway such that a distal end of the septum abuts up against the transitional step, the septum retainer at least partially receivable within the internal fluid passageway and having an outer wall shaped and sized to interlock with the inner wall of the catheter hub body, the outer wall including one or more lateral ribs configured to inhibit rotation of the septum retainer relative to the catheter hub body.