Luer Fitting Storage Insert for Medical Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a packaging solution that allows easy attachment to a fluid storage container, accommodates a Luer fitting/needle for storage without interfering with fluid withdrawal, and protects the needle from contamination, while being easily recyclable and adaptable to existing packaging formats.
Innovation Solution
A molded plastic insert with a cylindrical body and a passage for the syringe neck, featuring an elongated recess for needle storage, which is integrated into a container assembly to provide a secure and accessible storage solution for the Luer fitting/needle, ensuring contamination protection and easy recyclability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the needle is stored separately in a plastic bag, then contamination is prevented, but accessibility and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the needle storage function with the cap structure by integrating a recess into the cap body. This merging allows the needle to be stored within the cap assembly itself rather than in a separate bag, maintaining contamination protection through the cap's sealed structure while significantly improving accessibility during refilling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle is nested within the recess of the cap structure. The recess is specifically dimensioned to receive and hold the needle when not in use, creating a nested arrangement where the needle is contained within the cap assembly. This nesting approach protects the needle from contamination while keeping it readily accessible when needed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the packaging is modified to include storage compartment, then needle storage functionality is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The storage recess is merged directly into the cap structure during the same molding process. This combining approach adds needle storage functionality without creating a separate component, thereby improving versatility while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap is designed to serve multiple functions: sealing the container, providing user grip, and storing the needle. By making the cap multi-functional, the patent adds needle storage capability without requiring additional dedicated components, thus improving versatility while controlling structural complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the insert is integrated into the container, then needle storage and contamination protection are improved, but manufacturing precision requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The insert is merged with the cap structure and both are molded as a single integrated component. This combining approach ensures precise alignment and fit between the insert and cap without requiring separate manufacturing and assembly operations, thereby improving contamination protection while managing manufacturing precision requirements through single-shot molding.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert structure is preliminarily formed as an integral part of the cap during the molding process. By pre-forming the insert with the correct dimensions and features during initial manufacturing, the patent ensures proper fit and function without requiring subsequent precision adjustments or assemblies.
Data Source
AI summary
An insert is disclosed for use with a container having an end wall, and sidewall that together form an internal cavity, and an opening opposite the end wall that communicates with the internal cavity. The insert includes a body having first and second ends spaced apart along a first axis. A portion of the body is dimensioned for receipt in the opening of the container. A passage extends through the body from the first end to the second end for communicating with the internal cavity of the container. An elongated recess extends inwardly from the first end of the body and is sealed from the cavity of the container.