Disposable Needle Hub Assembly with Shieldable Proximal End

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional disposable injection needle hub assemblies face challenges in maintaining precise needle length tolerance, leading to inconsistent medication delivery and potential patient bruising, while also lacking effective protection against accidental needle exposure during disposal.

Innovation Solution

A one-piece molded hub design with a shieldable proximal end and a deepened adhesive well, featuring a center hub protrusion for stress distribution and a skin contact plane for proper insertion, which enhances needle stability and safety.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional adhesive well design is used, then manufacturing is simplified, but needle length tolerance becomes uncontrolled and effective needle length varies

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehub assembly manufacturing simplicityVSAvoidneedle length tolerance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the geometric parameters of the adhesive well by adding a depth-limiting shoulder and flange structure. This modifies the adhesive application parameters to ensure uniform thickness and prevent overflow, thereby controlling the effective needle length tolerance while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through molded-in features rather than post-processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The hub assembly is pre-configured with integrated depth-limiting shoulders and flanges during molding, which preliminarily establish the adhesive well boundaries before adhesive application. This preliminary structural preparation ensures consistent adhesive distribution and needle positioning, eliminating the need for complex post-manufacturing adjustments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of manufacture

If adhesive bump is used to secure needle, then needle attachment is simplified, but effective needle length is reduced and injection accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveneedle attachment simplicityVSAvoidinjection depth accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the problematic adhesive bump that extended beyond the needle hub. Instead, the adhesive is contained within a recessed well with a depth-limiting shoulder, preventing the adhesive from protruding and reducing the effective needle length. This extraction of the harmful adhesive bump preserves injection depth accuracy while maintaining secure needle attachment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from a surface-level adhesive application (2D) to a three-dimensional recessed well structure with depth control (3D). The adhesive is confined within vertical boundaries defined by the depth-limiting shoulder, creating a controlled volumetric adhesive zone that prevents overflow and maintains precise needle positioning without extending the effective needle length.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If needle hub is made shorter for shallow injection, then injection comfort is improved, but structural resilience decreases and misuse vulnerability increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinjection discomfortVSAvoidneedle hub structural resilience

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates a flexible membrane and depth-limiting shoulder structure that act as cushioning elements before misuse occurs. These features provide mechanical compliance and stress distribution, protecting the short needle hub from excessive forces during improper insertion or withdrawal, thereby preventing needle displacement or hub fracture while maintaining the short length needed for comfortable shallow injections.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

4Device complexity

If exposed needle tip is used for disposal, then device simplicity is maintained, but accidental needle exposure risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisposal mechanism simplicityVSAvoidaccidental needle exposure

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the needle hub and shield into an integrated unit where the shield is permanently attached to the hub structure. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate shield attachment mechanisms, maintaining device simplicity while ensuring the shield remains consistently positioned to cover the needle tip during disposal, thereby reducing accidental exposure risk.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS8133202B2Disposable needle and hub assembly

Publication Date: 2012.03.13 EMBECTA CORP

AI summary

A needle assembly including a cover, an inner shield, a needle and a hub assembly is provided. After use, the cover is placed over the distal (patient) end of the needle and the inner shield can be used to cover the proximal (non-patient) end of the needle. The inner shield comprises flexible extensions above its open end to secure the inner shield over the proximal end of a needle in the needle assembly. A needle hub is also provided that eliminates adhesive bumps at the base of the needle and further distributes needle angular bending along an irregular surface, which facilitates proper insertion technique and effective needle length. The hub further includes stanchions or castellations on its edge such that when the patient uses proper injection techniques, the edges of the hub leave a distinctive impression in the skin of a user for a short period of time.