Heel Bypass Needle Geometry for Straight, Low-Trauma Piercing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional piercing needles cause unnecessary tissue trauma due to the heel of the needle cutting into the tissue during piercing, and require precise angling to achieve a straight cut, complicating the piercing procedure and increasing discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A needle design with a strategic bend in the heel and primary bevel region, positioning the heel below the cutting edge and aligning the secondary cutting edge with the cannula tubing, optimized through a novel bending process using specific manufacturing equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional straight needle design is used, then the needle structure is simple, but the heel cuts into the tissue causing unnecessary trauma and the needle must be held at an angle to achieve straight piercing
Solution Approach 1:
The needle incorporates a curved heel bypass design where the heel follows a curved path below the cutting edge during insertion. This curvature allows the heel to clear the tissue surface without cutting into it, eliminating the need for precise angling by the operator and reducing tissue trauma while maintaining procedural simplicity
2Ease of operation
If the heel of the needle is positioned above the cutting edge in conventional design, then the needle structure is simple, but the heel interferes with tissue during piercing requiring precise handling
Solution Approach 1:
The heel bypass design moves the heel's path from a two-dimensional plane above the cutting edge to a three-dimensional curved path below the cutting edge. This dimensional change allows the heel to clear the tissue surface automatically during insertion, eliminating the need for precise angular control by the operator while adding only minimal structural complexity through the curved heel configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A needle with an elongated body with a proximal end, a distal end, and a hollow channel, the proximal end configured to penetrate tissue, wherein the elongated body has an upper wall with an inner surface and an outer surface and a bottom wall with an inner surface and an outer surface. The proximal end has a beveled face and an opening within the beveled face in communication with the hollow channel, wherein the beveled face terminates at a piercing tip at its proximal end and has a bevel bottom at its distal end formed by an edge of the outer surface of the top wall. The beveled face has a heel formed by an edge of the inner surface of the top wall delimiting the opening and a bend positioned between the heel and the bevel bottom such that the piercing tip is positioned above the heel.