Luer-Activated Blood Control Valve for IV Catheter Hub
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current IV catheter systems require manual verification of proper blood vessel placement and can lead to undesirable blood exposure, especially in catheters without blood control valves, and lack a compact and strong design for high-pressure injection devices.
Innovation Solution
A needle assembly with a Luer-activated valve that includes a proximal and distal valve opener, a valve with three slits and flaps, and a bushing with leg extensions, allowing for axial movement and actuation to open a fluid flow path, integrated within a compact catheter hub design for improved safety and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If manual occlusion is used to prevent blood exposure during catheter placement, then blood exposure is reduced, but the complexity of the procedure increases and time is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The catheter system includes an integrated blood control valve that automatically prevents blood exposure during placement without requiring manual occlusion by the clinician. The valve is activated simply by inserting a male Luer connector, eliminating the need for additional manual steps while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The blood control valve is pre-positioned within the catheter hub and is ready to activate automatically when the male Luer connector is inserted. This preliminary arrangement ensures blood prevention is already in place before the clinician needs to perform manual occlusion steps.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a blood control valve is integrated into the catheter hub, then blood exposure is reduced and flashback verification is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blood control valve is merged with the catheter hub structure, sharing the same housing and integration points. The valve body is positioned within the hub's interior cavity, and the same male Luer connector serves both as the fluid connection interface and the valve activation mechanism, reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The male Luer connector performs multiple functions: it provides the fluid connection interface for the catheter and simultaneously acts as the activation mechanism for the blood control valve. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components, reducing device complexity while maintaining blood safety features.
3Volume of moving object
If a compact valve design is used in the catheter hub, then the overall device size is reduced, but the strength and reliability under high-pressure injection may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The valve is segmented into distinct functional components: a valve body with internal flow path control, a valve opener mechanism with plunger elements, and a bushing with leg extensions. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall compactness and structural integrity under high pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve assembly utilizes composite construction with a valve body made from materials suitable for high-pressure resistance, combined with a bushing and opener mechanisms that provide precise mechanical control. The integration of different material properties within the compact hub structure maintains both size efficiency and high-pressure strength.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Needle assemblies (100, 400, 600) and related methods in which a valve opener (134) is used to push into a valve (136) to open one or more slits (324) on the valve (136) to open the valve (136). The needle assemblies (100, 400, 600) each includes a needle hub (106) with a needle (108), a catheter tube (104) with a catheter hub (102) and the valve (136) and valve opener (134) positioned in the interior cavity (130) of the catheter hub (102). The valve (136) can have a valve skirt (412) and a nose section (430) of the valve opener (134) can locate therein. One or more reliefs (61, 448) can be provided with the valve opener (134) so that an elbow or diagonal section (304) on a needle guard (132) can project from a holding space (155, 720) within the valve opener (134) through the relief (61, 448).