Elastomeric Needle Guard with Snap-Fit Arms for Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current safety devices for medical needles are costly, prone to malfunction in fluid-filled environments, and require multiple parts, making them expensive and unreliable for protecting healthcare workers from accidental needle sticks.
Innovation Solution
A needle guard with a base portion and extending arms that snap together to cover the needle tip, made from elastic material like stainless steel, ensuring easy manufacturing and effective protection without additional parts or mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple parts and complex mechanisms are used in safety catheter assemblies, then needle tip protection is improved, but manufacturing cost increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the needle guard and needle into a single integrated assembly, eliminating the need for separate protective mechanisms. The guard is formed as one piece with the needle shaft, reducing the number of parts while maintaining protection functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The needle guard serves multiple functions: it protects the needle tip during storage and handling, allows for controlled exposure during use, and provides structural support for the catheter assembly. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for additional separate components
2Reliability
If complex safety mechanisms are implemented in safety catheter assemblies, then needle tip protection is improved, but manufacturing cost increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the guard and needle into a single molded component, the patent simplifies manufacturing processes and reduces assembly steps, thereby lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining protection reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses elastomeric material properties to achieve automatic guard retraction through elastic memory, eliminating the need for complex mechanical retraction mechanisms and reducing manufacturing complexity
3Strength
If safety mechanisms are made from rigid materials, then structural strength is improved, but functionality in fluid-filled environments deteriorates due to sticking or slipping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from rigid to elastomeric, which provides both the necessary structural strength and the flexibility to prevent sticking and slipping in fluid-filled environments. The elastomeric material can deform and recover, maintaining reliable function
Solution Approach 2:
The use of elastomeric material combines the properties of flexibility and strength, creating a material that is both structurally sound and responsive to fluid environment conditions, preventing the sticking and slipping issues associated with rigid materials
4Reliability
If disposable safety devices are used, then infection risk is reduced, but manufacturing cost per unit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated design of the needle and guard as a single disposable unit simplifies manufacturing and eliminates the need for separate protective components, reducing the overall cost per disposable unit while maintaining infection protection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs a simple, inexpensive disposable needle guard that can be manufactured at low cost using elastomeric materials and integral molding, making the disposable approach economically viable while maintaining high reliability
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 needle guard provides a simple, inexpensive, and reliable solution for protecting needle tips, ensuring correct functioning even after extended shelf life and in various environments, reducing manufacturing costs and improving safety for healthcare workers.
Implementation Method 1
The elastomeric needle guard with its elastic memory automatically covers the needle tip following catheter insertion
Data Source
AI summary
A needle guard may include a base portion having a hole adapted to accommodate a needle shaft of a needle such that the needle may extend through the hole and move relative to the needle guard from a ready position in which the needle tip is outside the needle guard to a protective position in which the needle tip is covered by the needle guard. Arms of the needle guard may extend distally from the base portion generally in an axial direction. The arms may comprise sections bent to define a passage for the needle in the needle guard. An intravenous catheter apparatus may include the needle guard in combination with a needle and a catheter tube attached to a catheter hub, the catheter hub having a chamber. The needle guard may be slidably arranged on the needle shaft and housed in the chamber of the catheter hub.