Guide Needle Tip Geometry for Low-Pain Glucose Sensor Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional continuous glucose monitoring devices cause pain and discomfort during the skin insertion process due to the incision made by the insertion guide needle, leading to user repulsion and reduced convenience over time.
Innovation Solution
An insertion guide needle designed to incise the skin with a point-contacting dot tip and continuously enlarge the incised portion in both width and thickness directions, minimizing pain by forming an entire incision area for simple insertion along this area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional insertion guide needle is used to insert the sensor unit into the skin, then the sensor unit can be inserted, but pain and discomfort occur due to the incision made by the needle
Solution Approach 1:
The insertion guide needle is divided into two functional parts: a dot point tip for initial skin contact and an enlargement incision part for expanding the incision. This segmentation allows the needle to perform different functions at different stages of insertion, reducing pain by separating the piercing action from the enlarging action.
Solution Approach 2:
The dot point tip makes initial contact with the skin to create a small puncture point before the enlargement incision part is inserted. This preliminary action prepares the skin by creating a focal point, allowing the subsequent enlargement to proceed more smoothly and with less resistance.
2Ease of operation
If the incision area is enlarged to facilitate sensor insertion, then insertion is easier, but skin resistance and pain increase during the process
Solution Approach 1:
The dot point tip creates a preliminary puncture point that serves as a starting point for the enlargement incision. This preliminary action reduces the force required for subsequent enlargement by providing a focal point where the skin has already been breached.
Solution Approach 2:
The enlargement incision part expands the incision in multiple directions (width and thickness) from the initial dot point contact. This dimensional expansion distributes the force required for incision across different spatial dimensions, reducing the concentration of force at any single point.
3Productivity
If a sharp point needle is used for skin insertion, then insertion is efficient, but it causes significant pain and user repulsion
Solution Approach 1:
The needle design segments the insertion process into two distinct phases: initial puncture by the dot point tip and subsequent enlargement by the enlargement incision part. This segmentation maintains insertion efficiency while reducing pain by distributing the mechanical action across different structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle geometry changes from a sharp dot point tip (high curvature, concentrated force) to an enlarged incision part (lower curvature, distributed force). This parameter change allows efficient skin penetration followed by gentle enlargement, maintaining productivity while reducing harmful effects.
Data Source
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Figure 3(a)~3(b)
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to an insertion guide needle for a continuous glucose monitoring system. The insertion guide needle makes an incision in the skin by means of point-contact with the skin during a skin insertion process, and allows expanded incision of the skin continuously thereafter, thereby minimizing pain which may occur during the skin insertion process and thus relieving aversion or tension when the continuous glucose monitoring system is used. During a process of expanded incision of the skin, the insertion guide needle allows expanded incision continuously and gradually in the width direction and thickness direction, thereby reducing skin resistance during the expanded incision process and further reducing pain. In addition, during the expanded incision process, since the entire incision area is formed by an incision, the insertion guide needle is simply inserted along the incision area after a predetermined insertion section, such that almost no pain occurs during the insertion process.