Medical Device Sensor Ejection Mechanism

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional medical devices with sensor discarding mechanisms risk scattering blood or body fluid attached to sensors due to unpredictable ejection, posing a biohazard safety concern, especially in medical settings.

Innovation Solution

A medical device design featuring a connector part with a contact terminal and a discarding mechanism using a slide pin and discarding lever that ensures controlled ejection of the sensor by lifting the contact terminal away from the sensor, preventing rebound and ensuring safe disposal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the sensor is discarded by simply pushing it with the discarding lever or slide pin, then the discarding operation is simple, but the sensor might jump out to an unexpected distance or direction due to rebound of the contact terminal, causing biohazard scattering

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of discarding operationVSAvoidbiohazard scattering risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The contact terminal is preliminarily separated from the sensor before the sensor is fully ejected. This preliminary action prevents the rebound effect that would otherwise cause the sensor to jump uncontrollably, thereby eliminating the biohazard scattering risk while maintaining simple operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The discarding process is segmented into two distinct phases: first separating the contact terminal from the sensor, then ejecting the sensor. This segmentation allows control over the ejection process, preventing uncontrolled rebound while keeping the overall operation simple

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the contact terminal remains in contact with the sensor during ejection, then electrical connection is maintained, but the sensor may be affected by rebound forces causing unpredictable ejection

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical connection reliabilityVSAvoidejection trajectory stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The contact terminal is separated from the sensor before the sensor completes its ejection trajectory. This timing ensures that electrical connection is maintained during the critical phase of separation, then released before rebound can occur, achieving both reliable connection and stable ejection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8233956B2Medical device

Publication Date: 2012.07.31 PHC HLDG CORP

AI summary

A medical device includes a connector which contacts a sensor to electrically connect the sensor with a measurement circuit in a medical device, a contact terminal which constitutes the connector, and a slide pin which ejects the sensor out of the medical device. The slide pin performs the operation of pushing up the contact terminal contacting the sensor as well as the operation of pushing the sensor out of the medical device. Since the contact terminal is completely lifted up by the inclined surface of the upper end part of the slide pin before the sensor is discarded, there occurs no reaction due to rebound of the contact terminal which might occur at the moment when the contact terminal of the connector is separated from the sensor, and thereby the sensor can be discarded so as to fall freely.