Needle Safety Device Lateral Elastic Jaw Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing needle safety devices for medical devices like intravenous catheters lack a simple and reliable mechanism to prevent accidental pricking and ensure secure needle tip protection, especially after prolonged shelf life and during needle withdrawal.
Innovation Solution
A needle safety device with elastic elements mounted laterally between the base and head portions of the jaws, which exert a restoring force to spread and snap the jaws shut, preventing needle protrusion and securing the device to the medical device, combined with a locking mechanism to prevent axial movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an annular resilient member is used to surround the jaws, then the needle safety device provides reliable protection, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the resilient member from its traditional annular surrounding configuration and repositions it as a lateral element between the base portion and head portions. This extraction and repositioning simplifies the overall structure while maintaining the essential function of providing restoring force to the jaws, thereby reducing structural complexity without compromising protection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the resilient member's function from the complete annular structure, isolating only the essential restoring force provision function. By mounting the resilient member laterally rather than annularly, the design separates the critical function (providing restoring force) from the structural envelope, achieving both simplification and functional effectiveness.
2Reliability
If the jaws are made to snap together automatically, then needle tip protection is improved, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by using the resilient member to automatically provide restoring force to the jaws without requiring external actuation or complex control mechanisms. The resilient member's inherent elastic properties enable the jaws to snap together automatically when the needle is withdrawn, achieving reliable protection through passive self-actuating mechanics rather than active controlled mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the spatial parameter of the resilient member from annular surrounding to lateral mounting between base and head portions. This parameter change allows the resilient member to exert restoring force more directly on the jaws, simplifying the mechanism while enhancing the automatic snapping function for needle tip protection.
3Device complexity
If the resilient member is positioned laterally, then the structure is simplified, but the restoring force effectiveness may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by positioning the resilient member specifically in the lateral region between the base portion and head portions, rather than uniformly distributing it annularly. This localized placement optimizes the restoring force application point, ensuring effective force transmission to the jaws while maintaining structural simplicity. The local positioning ensures the resilient member exerts force at the critical snapping location.
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
Ensures continuous protection against accidental pricking and secure needle tip guarding, even after prolonged shelf life, by maintaining the jaws' functionality and preventing loose fitting during use, while allowing unimpeded blood flow through maintaining the inner profile unchanged.
Implementation Method 1
at least one elastic element mounted to the jaws in a non-surrounding manner lateral to the center axis in a region between the base portion and the head portions, wherein the at least one elastic element and the jaws are configured such that the jaws can be spread apart against a restoring force of the at least one elastic element
Implementation Method 2
a locking projection for securing the needle safety device to the medical device
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a needle safety device for a medical device, the needle safety device comprising: a base portion having a bore extending along a longitudinal center axis therethrough for receiving a needle; and two opposing jaws extending from the base portion generally in the axial direction and each having a head portion in the region of its free end, wherein the needle safety device includes a locking projection for securing the needle safety device to the medical device. The needle safety device according to the invention further provides at least one elastic element mounted to the jaws in a non-surrounding manner lateral to the center axis in a region between the base portion and the head portions, wherein at least one elastic element and the jaws are configured such that the jaws can be spread apart against a restoring force of at least one elastic element in order to allow the needle received in the bore to extend all the way through the needle safety device.