Expanding Needle Dynamics for Septa Integrity and Flow Rate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical needles face limitations in fluid flow rate, causing pain and bruising during injections and fluid transfer, and often core septa, leading to leakage and contamination issues, which restrict the operational speed of automated drug compounding systems.
Innovation Solution
An expanding needle with a tubular body that transitions from a contracted state to an expanded state via a longitudinal seam, increasing the inner diameter and formed from shape memory materials, allowing for faster fluid transfer without coring septa, and a device that includes a needle hub and annular seal for secure fluid transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a wider needle is used to increase fluid flow rate, then fluid transfer speed is improved, but pain and bruising during injection increases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle transitions from a contracted state with a smaller effective diameter during insertion to an expanded state with a larger effective diameter during fluid transfer. This dynamic change allows the needle to minimize tissue trauma during insertion while maximizing fluid flow rate during operation, resolving the contradiction between productivity and harmful effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical parameter of needle diameter is changed dynamically through the expansion mechanism. The needle starts with a smaller diameter parameter during insertion to reduce pain and bruising, then transitions to a larger diameter parameter during fluid transfer to increase flow rate, effectively resolving the technical contradiction through parameter transformation.
2Productivity
If a wider needle is used to increase fluid flow rate, then operational speed is improved, but septa coring and leakage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The needle dynamically changes its diameter from a smaller contracted state during septa penetration to a larger expanded state during fluid transfer. This ensures the needle does not core the septa during insertion while providing sufficient flow rate during operation, maintaining both reliability and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle is inserted in a contracted state before expansion occurs. This preliminary action of inserting the needle in its smaller, non-coring state prevents septa damage, and only after successful insertion does the needle expand to provide high flow rate fluid transfer, thus preserving septa integrity while achieving high productivity.
3Reliability
If needle size is limited to prevent septa coring, then septa sealing integrity is maintained, but fluid flow rate and operational speed are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The needle transitions from a smaller diameter state during insertion to a larger diameter state during fluid transfer. This dynamic transformation allows the system to maintain septa sealing integrity during insertion while achieving high fluid flow rates during operation, effectively resolving the contradiction between reliability and productivity.
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 expanding needle reduces pain and bruising during injections, enhances fluid transfer speed, and prevents leakage by maintaining septa integrity, thereby increasing the operational efficiency of automated drug compounding systems.
Implementation Method 1
The tubular body is formed from a shape memory material so that the tubular body transitions from the contracted state to the expanded state
Data Source
AI summary
An expanding needle is provided that includes a tubular body having a proximal end, a needle-tipped distal end, and a lumen extending therebetween. The expanding needle also includes a longitudinal seam formed on the tubular body. The tubular body is configured to uncurl radially, along the longitudinal seam, thereby transitioning the tubular body from a contracted state to an expanded state to increase an inner diameter of the lumen. In certain embodiments, the tubular body is formed by, for example, a continuous flexible sheet rolled in a lengthwise direction. In that case, the longitudinal seam is defined by a portion of a side of the flexible sheet overlapping an opposing side of the flexible sheet. An expanding needle device, including an expanding needle seated to a needle hub, and a method of increasing an inner diameter of an expanding needle are also provided herein.