Medical Needle Safety Wings with Hook-and-Loop Fastener
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current safety devices for medical needles are not designed to meet clinical protocols and are difficult to use, often failing to provide adequate protection from needle stick injuries during and after removal from patients, posing a risk to medical workers.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a central body portion in fluid connection with a delivery tube, a medical needle with a sharp tip, and a pair of wings or a sleeve that can be selectively positioned to protect the user from the needle tip, featuring a mechanical fastener or sliding mechanism to securely attach the wings or sleeve over the needle after removal, thereby preventing exposure to the sharp tip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current safety devices are used, then some protection is provided, but they do not meet clinical protocols and are difficult to use
Solution Approach 1:
The device employs dynamic components including movable wings that can transition between open and closed positions, and a sliding mechanism that moves along the needle shaft. These dynamic elements allow the device to adapt to different operational phases (insertion, use, removal) while maintaining ease of operation through intuitive mechanical movements that respond to user actions.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety device incorporates self-activating mechanisms where the wings and sliding cover automatically engage or move in response to needle removal or withdrawal actions. The mechanical fasteners and sliding mechanisms are designed to self-latch or self-position without requiring additional manual intervention, thereby simplifying operation while ensuring reliable protection.
2Reliability
If current safety devices are used, then some protection is provided, but they extend away from patient's body increasing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The safety device employs a nested configuration where the protective wings and sliding cover are housed within or adjacent to the needle assembly structure. The wings can be folded or retracted when not in use, and the sliding cover moves along the needle shaft, minimizing the overall profile extension away from the patient's body while maintaining protection functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is divided into segmented components including separate wings, sliding cover, and fastening mechanisms that can be independently positioned or retracted. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for protection while minimizing overall device complexity and profile extension through selective engagement and retraction of individual segments.
3Ease of operation
If wings are positioned to allow needle placement, then insertion is facilitated, but they provide little protection during or after removal
Solution Approach 1:
The wings are designed as dynamic components that can transition between an open position during insertion (facilitating needle placement) and a closed or protective position during and after removal. The mechanical fasteners enable the wings to be secured in protective positions, transforming them from mere insertion aids into active protection elements that shield the user from needle stick injuries.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for protecting a user from a sharp tip of a medical needle includes a central body portion, a medical needle having a sharp tip, a pair of wings in attachment to the central body portion, and a hook-and-loop fastening system disposed on at least one of the wings, and configured to selectively attach the wings together with the medical needle positioned between the wings so as to protect a user from the sharp tip of the medical needle. A method of using the device includes withdrawing a sharp tip of a medical needle from a patient, closing a pair of wings with the medical needle positioned between the wings, and fastening the wings together with the medical needle positioned between the wings so as to protect a user from the sharp tip of the medical needle.