Needle Retention Device with Spring-Actuated Skirt
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical professionals, particularly nurses, face the risk of unintended needle sticks due to the lack of a safe and effective method for immediate disposal of used needles, as existing safety devices sometimes fail, and sharps containers are not always conveniently located.
Innovation Solution
A needle retention and disposal device comprising a cup with a springedly attached skirt and rotatable doors, allowing for temporary storage of used needles and secure transfer to a sharps container, where the skirt is designed to move over the container's neck, opening the doors to release the needles into the container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If nurses place needles on the bed or tray for temporary storage, then the needles can be held temporarily, but the risk of unintended needle sticks increases and proper disposal is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into distinct functional zones: a storage compartment for temporary needle holding, a transfer mechanism with controlled opening, and a disposal receptacle. This segmentation allows nurses to safely deposit needles in the storage compartment without immediate exposure risk, then control the transfer to disposal separately, reducing both time loss and hazard exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The device acts as an intermediary between the needle source and the sharps container. The storage compartment serves as a buffer zone where needles can be temporarily held with reduced risk, and the controlled opening mechanism mediates the transfer process, preventing direct handling and reducing needle stick risk while managing disposal timing.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If safety devices that close and cover needles are used, then needle protection is improved, but these devices sometimes fail and require additional disposal steps
Solution Approach 1:
The device merges the protective enclosure function with the disposal function into a single integrated unit. The storage compartment provides immediate protection upon needle deposition, and the same structure serves as the disposal container when opened over the receptacle, eliminating the need for separate safety device activation and disposal steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage compartment serves multiple functions: it protects needles immediately upon deposition, transports them safely to the disposal location, and contains them during the transfer process. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate protective devices and simplifies the overall disposal process while maintaining protection.
3Ease of operation
If sharps containers are placed within arm's length of medical professionals, then immediate disposal is enabled, but this increases the number of containers required and their placement throughout facilities
Solution Approach 1:
The device adds a temporal dimension to disposal by providing temporary storage capacity. Instead of requiring a container at every immediate disposal point, the device allows needles to be held temporarily and disposed of in batches at designated locations, transforming the disposal approach from space-intensive to time-managed.
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs preliminary storage action at the point of use, allowing needles to be temporarily held and secured before transport to the final disposal location. This preliminary action reduces the need for immediate container placement throughout the facility while maintaining safe handling practices.
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
Provides a safe and efficient means for nurses to temporarily store and dispose of used needles, reducing the risk of needle sticks and ensuring proper disposal by facilitating the transfer of needles into a sharps container, thus enhancing workplace safety.
Implementation Method 1
a spring (184) attached to the cup (14) and the skirt (12)
Data Source
AI summary
A needle retention and disposal device including a cup having an interior compartment for receiving and retaining used needles and a skirt having a bottom open end. The cup is positioned inside the skirt and is springedly attached to the skirt. Two doors are rotatably attached to the interior compartment of the cup and are moveable between an open position and a closed position. The bottom open end of the skirt receives the neck of a sharps container such that the neck of the sharps container contacts the bottom surface of the cup. The doors are moveable from the closed position to the open position to release the used needles when the skirt is pushed down over the neck of the sharps container.