Implant Needle Tapered Tip Splitting Skin for Flat Sensors

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing implant needles are costly to manufacture and often require medical professionals for insertion and removal, and they are not suitable for non-destructive implantation of flat sensors, which can cause tissue trauma and pain during insertion.

Innovation Solution

A hollow implant needle with a taper-shaped tip portion featuring a first and second slant surface as non-cutting edges and a pair of sharpened surfaces with cutting edges, allowing for stepwise skin penetration and easy retraction without changing the implant's position, manufactured using a punch-bent process or etching, reducing production costs and penetration forces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional implant needles (closed cannulas with V-bevel, tubular slotted cannulas, or peel catheters) are used for implant insertion, then the implant can be introduced into the body, but the manufacturing cost increases and the procedure requires medical professionals

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidinsertion complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The needle tip is segmented into distinct functional surfaces: a first slant surface for initial skin penetration, and a second slant surface for implant delivery. This segmentation allows each surface to be optimized for its specific function, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining ease of use

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The needle geometry parameters are changed from conventional V-bevel designs to a multi-surface taper-shaped tip with specific slant angles. This parameter change simplifies manufacturing while enabling both easy insertion and professional-free operation through the optimized geometric progression of the tip surfaces

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If conventional needles with cutting edges are used for skin penetration, then insertion is achieved, but tissue trauma and pain occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinsertion capabilityVSAvoidtissue trauma

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Different local qualities are applied to different parts of the needle tip: the first slant surface has a geometry optimized for minimal-trauma skin penetration, while the second slant surface is configured for smooth implant delivery. This local differentiation eliminates cutting edges that cause trauma while maintaining effective insertion capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The design converts the potentially harmful cutting action into a beneficial splitting action. The taper-shaped tip with slant surfaces causes the skin to split apart rather than cut, reducing trauma and pain while still achieving effective penetration. The geometry transforms what would be a damaging cutting edge into a tissue-friendly splitting mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Adaptability or versatility

If flat sensors are inserted using conventional closed cannulas with V-bevel, then implantation is possible, but the procedure causes tissue trauma and is not non-destructive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompatibility with flat sensorsVSAvoidtissue trauma

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The needle tip features localized quality variations with the first slant surface specifically designed for flat sensor compatibility, providing a gentle splitting action that accommodates the flat geometry of modern sensors without causing tissue trauma

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of forcing the sensor through a cutting edge that causes trauma, the design inverts the approach by using a splitting mechanism that gently separates tissue around the flat sensor, making the insertion process non-destructive while maintaining versatility with flat sensor designs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS11648032B2Implant needle

Publication Date: 2023.05.16 ROCHE DIABETES CARE INC

AI summary

The present disclosure refers to an implant needle (1) for introducing an implant into a body of a patient, comprising a receiving portion configured to receive an implant and provided in a hollow needle main body (2), and a taper-shaped tip portion (3). The taper-shaped tip portion (3) is further comprising: a first slant surface (14a) contiguous to a first outer peripheral surface (15) of the hollow needle main body (2), wherein the first slant surface (14a) is provided as a first non-cutting edge; a second slant surface (16a) contiguous to a second outer peripheral surface (17) of the hollow needle main body (2), wherein the second slant surface (16a) is provided as a second non-cutting edge; and a pair of sharpened surfaces (9a, 9b) symmetric with respect to an edge point (10) and a longitudinal axis (13) of the needle main body (2), wherein the sharpened surfaces (9a, 9b) are both provided with a cutting edge. The first slant surface (14a) comprises a first flank (14b), and the second slant surface (16a) comprises a second flank (16b), wherein the first flank (14b) is provided at a first distance from the edge point (10) and the second flank (16b) is provided at a second distance from the edge point (10) which is different from the first distance.