Flexible Needle Puncture Apparatus with Dynamic Sleeve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing puncture apparatuses face challenges in reducing the risk of needle member fracture and pain during puncturing and removal, as they often require thicker sleeves that increase discomfort for the patient.
Innovation Solution
A puncture apparatus with a deformable needle member and a movable puncture assisting member that transitions between a restricting and permissive position, allowing the needle to be inserted without the assisting member entering the body, thereby reducing the risk of fracture and enhancing patient comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sleeve is provided outside the catheter to allow insertion, then the catheter can be inserted into the living body, but the person to be punctured feels much more pain because the catheter and the thicker sleeve are punctured
Solution Approach 1:
The puncture assisting member is designed to move dynamically from a restricting position (where it restricts deformation of the flexible portion) to a permissive position (where it permits deformation). During puncture, it moves to the permissive position to allow the needle to penetrate while minimizing pain, and during removal, it returns to the restricting position to prevent bending and fracture of the needle member.
2Reliability
If the flexible body portion is used to inhibit fracture, then the chance of catheter fracture is reduced, but a thicker sleeve is required which increases puncture pain
Solution Approach 1:
The puncture apparatus is segmented into distinct functional components: the needle member (catheter) for puncture and the separate puncture assisting member for protection. This segmentation allows the needle to remain thin for comfortable puncture while the assisting member provides fracture protection during removal, eliminating the need for a thick protective sleeve during insertion.
3Reliability
If a puncture assisting member is provided to reduce fracture risk, then needle member safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The puncture assisting member is integrated with the needle member through attachment mechanisms (such as engagement portions or connection structures), combining the functions of puncture and protection into a unified apparatus. This merging reduces the need for separate components and simplifies the overall device structure while maintaining safety functions.
Data Source
AI summary
A puncture apparatus includes: a needle member having a tubular shape and comprising a flexible portion that is deformable; and a puncture assisting member that is movable or deformable in an axial direction of the needle member between: a restricting position in which the puncture assisting member is located outside the flexible portion of the needle member in a radial direction of the needle member, and thereby restricts deformation of the flexible portion, and a permissive position in which the puncture assisting member is not located outside the flexible portion in the radial direction, and thereby permits deformation of the flexible portion. The puncture assisting member is configured to move or deform from the restricting position to the permissive position in conjunction with an operation of inserting the flexible portion into a living body at a time of puncturing the living body with the needle member.