Needle Shield Safety Mechanism for Full Insertion and Injury Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing needle-based devices face issues such as user injuries from needle caps and reduced functionality due to space occupied by springs for needle retraction, leading to incomplete insertion and reduced fluid capacity.
Innovation Solution
A needle-based device with a safety mechanism featuring a needle shield, a safety cap, and guide elements that protect the needle during disuse, allowing complete coverage and preventing lateral movement, while enabling full insertion and fluid capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a spring is used in the barrel to enable needle retraction, then needle safety is improved, but the needle cannot be inserted fully to the desired penetration depth and fluid capacity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The safety mechanism is segmented into separate components: a needle shield that covers the needle during storage and transport, and a safety cap that covers the needle after use. This eliminates the need for a spring inside the barrel, freeing up space for full needle insertion while maintaining safety functionality through modular protection components.
2Reliability
If manual cap handling is used to protect the needle, then needle protection is achieved, but user injuries occur during capping and uncapping operations
Solution Approach 1:
The device provides automatic safety through the needle shield and safety cap mechanism that does not require manual handling during critical operations. The shield automatically covers the needle during storage and the cap secures it after use, eliminating the need for users to manually cap and unc cap the needle, thereby preventing injuries.
3Reliability
If a needle cap is used to protect the needle during disuse, then needle protection is improved, but the cap may move laterally causing instability
Solution Approach 1:
The needle shield provides protection in the longitudinal dimension by covering the needle from the hub toward the tip. The safety cap then provides protection in the transverse dimension by fitting over the shield with a snug fit that prevents lateral movement. This multi-dimensional approach ensures both protection and stability.
4Reliability
If the needle cap protrudes from the needle shield, then complete needle coverage is achieved, but the protruding cap creates handling risks
Solution Approach 1:
The needle cap is designed to nest within the needle shield when not in use, creating a compact, safe configuration. The cap fits inside the shield's cylindrical structure, eliminating protruding elements that could create handling risks while maintaining complete needle coverage through the nested arrangement.
Data Source
AI summary
A needle-based device includes a body, a needle protruding from the body, and a needle cap to protect the needle in a first state of disuse of the needle-based device. Also, a needle shield encompasses the needle and at least a partial length of the needle cap in the first state of disuse. A safety cap encompasses the needle cap therewithin. The safety cap is secured onto an outer surface of the needle shield such that the needle and the needle cap are completely protected and covered during the first state of disuse. Guide elements protrude from an end of the needle shield farthest away from the body in the first state of disuse internal to the needle shield such that the needle passes through the guide elements to prevent significant lateral movement of the needle and the needle cap in the first state of disuse.