Passive Needle Cover Spring Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Needle stick injuries occur due to exposure to used needles, which can transmit diseases, highlighting the need for a mechanism to safely cover and isolate the needle after injection.

Innovation Solution

A passive activation mechanism using a spring member coupled to a needle and needle cover, which expands to cover the needle tip after a minimum depth is reached during injection, preventing re-emergence and ensuring safety.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a needle is used for injection, then medication can be administered directly into tissue, but the needle tip remains exposed and can cause needle stick injuries after use

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemedication administrationVSAvoidneedle stick injury risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The needle cover is pre-positioned to cover the needle tip before injection. The spring member is pre-compressed to store energy that will automatically propel the cover forward after injection, eliminating the need for manual activation and ensuring the protective action occurs automatically at the appropriate moment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The needle tip is extracted from the protective environment by being exposed during injection, but then the needle cover is propelled forward to re-cover and isolate the needle tip, effectively removing the hazard from the system after use

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a manual needle cover mechanism is used, then the needle can be covered after injection, but the device complexity increases and passive automatic activation is not achieved

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveneedle stick injury preventionVSAvoidactivation mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The spring member serves itself by being automatically compressed during the injection process and then automatically propelling the needle cover forward after injection. The system uses the injection action itself to compress the spring, and the spring's stored energy automatically performs the protective covering action without requiring separate manual activation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The protective covering function is merged with the injection process itself. The spring member combines the compression function (during injection) and the propulsion function (after injection) into a single passive mechanism, eliminating the need for separate activation components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the needle cover is activated before injection, then the needle is protected, but the needle cannot be properly inserted into tissue

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveneedle protectionVSAvoidneedle insertion

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The needle cover system transitions dynamically between two states: during injection, the cover is retracted to allow needle insertion; after injection, the spring member propels the cover forward to protect the needle tip. This dynamic state change ensures both proper needle function during use and protection after use

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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 mechanism effectively prevents needle stick injuries by automatically covering the needle tip after use, enhancing safety for healthcare workers and reducing disease transmission risks.

Implementation Method 1

The spring member is expandable from a compressed state to a natural expanded state to cover the needle and orient the needle cover to isolate the needle tip

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSpring expansion: Spring

Implementation Method 2

the force of a compressed spring is unleashed urging a needle cover towards the distal end of the needle

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic force: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS10272209B2Needle based helical coil safety device

Publication Date: 2019.04.30 SAFETY SYRINGES INC

AI summary

The present disclosure describes anti-needle stick safety mechanism that is passively activated during the normal course of giving an injection. In one embodiment, the device includes a spring member coupled at a proximal end to a needle member and at a distal end to a needle cover. The passive activation of the device is triggered when the needle is inserted to a minimum depth into the patient's tissue to unleash the force of a compressed spring to urge a needle cover towards the distal end of the needle. As the needle is withdrawn from the tissue, the needle cover advances to the end of the needle and as it partially clears the end of the needle, it adopts an orientation that prevents the needle tip from re-emerging from the needle cover.