Infusion Device Needle Retraction via Fluidic Chamber Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical infusion devices pose risks of needle stick injuries and exposure to bloodborne pathogens and hazardous drugs due to manual needle removal, which requires force and can lead to 'bounce-back' and leaks or spillage.
Innovation Solution
A medical infusion device with a chamber that volumetrically expands to retract the needle into the chamber, using a reversibly collapsible sidewall and a pierceable barrier for secure needle withdrawal, reducing manual handling risks and incorporating a mechanism for backflushing to prevent exposure and contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If manual needle removal is used, then the device structure remains simple, but needle stick injuries and bounce-back risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The needle retraction mechanism is self-actuating through fluid pressure changes within the chamber. When fluid is introduced into the chamber, the increasing pressure automatically pushes the needle back into the port without requiring manual intervention, thereby eliminating the need for two-handed operation and reducing needle stick injury risk while maintaining relatively simple device structure
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses fluid pressure (hydraulic principle) to actuate needle retraction. The chamber is filled with fluid that, when pressurized, exerts force on the needle to retract it safely into the port. This pneumatic/hydraulic mechanism provides controlled, forceful retraction without requiring manual pulling, thus reducing bounce-back hazards
2Ease of operation
If force is applied to remove the needle, then the needle can be extracted from the port, but bounce-back and needle stick injuries occur
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of pulling the needle outward to remove it from the port (conventional approach), the invention inverts the approach by using fluid pressure to push the needle inward back into the port after infusion. This reverse action eliminates the bounce-back phenomenon associated with manual outward pulling while maintaining ease of operation through automated retraction
3Reliability
If two hands are used to remove the needle, then the port can be steadied, but the procedure time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The needle retraction process is made self-servicing through fluid pressure actuation. The system automatically manages needle retraction without requiring the operator to use one hand to steady the port and the other to pull the needle. This self-actuating mechanism reduces procedure time and simplifies operation while maintaining port stability throughout the process
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 device effectively reduces the risk of needle stick injuries and exposure to bloodborne pathogens and hazardous substances by using controlled fluidic force for needle retraction and secure containment within the chamber, enhancing safety and reducing disposal hazards.
Implementation Method 1
The chamber has a collapsed state and an expanded state... the expanded state characterized as the needle less than entirely piercing through the pierceable barrier and the chamber expanded for retaining a fluid
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
A medical infusion device including a chamber characterized by an upper body joined to a lower body by a reversibly collapsible sidewall, affixed to the upper body is a downward extending needle, wherein the upper body having two channels, the first channel fluidly coupled to the needle and the second channel fluidly coupled to the interior of the chamber, further wherein each channel is configured to receive fluid from outside of the chamber, the lower body comprising a pierceable barrier that can be pierced by the needle; wherein the chamber has a collapsed state and an expanded state, the collapsed state characterized as the sidewall being collapsed and the needle piercing entirely through the pierceable barrier, the expanded state characterized as the needle less than entirely piercing through the pierceable barrier and the chamber capable of retaining a fluid.