Needle Safety Shield With Tilting Distal Portion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety devices for medical needles can be inefficient if not used correctly, as they may not properly cover the needle tip when misused, leading to potential needle stick injuries.
Innovation Solution
A safety device with a rotatable shield that includes a proximal and distal portion linked by a pivot link, allowing the shield to tilt and cover the needle even if misused, featuring a living hinge for cost-effective manufacturing and enhanced safety, and locking members to secure the shield in the safety position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a simple push shield safety device is used, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates when misused (needle may escape from shield)
Solution Approach 1:
The shield is designed with a distal portion that can dynamically tilt relative to the proximal portion through a pivot link, allowing the shield to adapt its configuration based on the force applied. This dynamic adjustment ensures the needle remains covered even when the device is misused by pressing against a flat surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield is segmented into a proximal portion and a distal portion that can move independently relative to each other. The distal portion is linked by a pivot link, allowing it to tilt and maintain needle coverage under various conditions, resolving the contradiction between simple operation and reliable coverage.
2Ease of operation
If the shield is pressed against a flat surface to bend the needle, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates (needle may escape from shield)
Solution Approach 1:
The distal portion of the shield is designed to tilt dynamically when force is applied, allowing it to accommodate both proper usage (pushing to cover needle) and misuse (pressing against flat surface). The pivot link enables this dynamic response, ensuring the needle remains covered regardless of how force is applied.
Solution Approach 2:
The device converts the harmful effect of misuse (pressing against a flat surface) into a beneficial outcome by allowing the distal portion to tilt and bend the needle at an appropriate angle, ensuring the needle remains covered. The misuse scenario is transformed into an alternative safe configuration.
3Reliability
If a rotatable distal portion is added to the shield, then reliability is improved (needle covered in misuse scenarios), but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shield is divided into proximal and distal portions connected by a pivot link, allowing the distal portion to tilt independently. This segmentation provides the reliability improvement while keeping the added complexity minimal and focused only on the necessary tilting mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The addition of the rotatable distal portion introduces dynamic capability to the shield, allowing it to adapt to different usage scenarios. The complexity added is functional and purposeful, directly contributing to the improved reliability of needle coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
A safety device for a needle of a medical device, the safety device including a ring adapted to be fixed with regard to the needle, a shield rotatably fixed on the ring, and the shield being configured to at least rotate in a closing direction from a retracted position in which the shield does not cover the needle to a safety position in which the shield covers the needle. The shield includes a proximal portion and a distal portion linked to the proximal portion so as to be rotatable from an operating position to a tilted position in which the distal portion is tilted with regard to the proximal portion.