IV Catheter Insertion Device Needle Retraction Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing IV-catheter insertion devices do not adequately protect against needle-stick injuries and prevent blood leakage after needle removal.
Innovation Solution
A tubular needle holder with a spring mechanism that automatically retracts the hollow needle into a protective barrel, combined with a spring clip for additional needle tip coverage and a self-closing valve to prevent blood leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective barrel is attached to the catheter hub, then protection against needle-stick injuries is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective barrel is merged with the catheter hub assembly, where the barrel, needle holder, and catheter hub form an integrated unit. The needle holder is positioned within the protective barrel, and both are attached to the catheter hub, creating a unified structure that provides protection while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle holder is nested within the protective barrel, with the hollow needle contained within the needle holder. This nested arrangement allows the needle to be retracted into the needle holder, which itself is contained within the protective barrel, providing multiple layers of protection in a compact configuration.
2Ease of operation
If a spring mechanism is used to automatically retract the hollow needle, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring mechanism is configured to automatically retract the hollow needle into the needle holder when the needle holder is released from its engaged position. This self-acting mechanism eliminates the need for manual retraction operations, providing automatic protection while keeping the overall device structure relatively simple through the use of a basic spring element.
3Reliability
If a self-closing valve is implemented, then reliability is improved by preventing blood leakage, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The self-closing valve is pre-positioned in the closed state within the catheter hub, ready to prevent blood leakage immediately upon needle removal. The valve mechanism is designed to automatically close when the needle is retracted, providing preliminary protection against blood leakage without requiring additional operational steps or complex control systems.
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 solution provides simple handling, reliable protection against needle-stick injuries, and effective prevention of blood leakage from the catheter hub after needle removal.
Implementation Method 1
a spring is provided between the protective barrel and needle holder. The tension of the spring is released by triggering a holding member, so that the hollow needle is automatically retracted into the protective barrel
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to a catheter insertion device, which has a catheter hub at the proximal end of a catheter, a tubular needle hub, at which a hollow needle is fixed and extends through the catheter hub and the catheter in a ready position such that the needle tip projects over the distal end of the catheter, a protective barrel which is received in the tubular needle hub in the ready position and is releasably connected to the catheter hub, and a pressure spring arranged between the needle hub and the protective barrel and which displaces the needle hub and the protective barrel apart from each other in an axial direction, wherein a manually operable holding member is provided between the needle hub and the protective barrel, and holds the needle hub in the ready position at the protective barrel against the bias of the pressure spring, so that after the holding member is released, the pressure spring moves the needle hub into a protective position in relation to the protective barrel, in which position the needle is positioned in the protective barrel.