Needle Shield Retention Cap with Resilient Engagement Arms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medicament delivery devices pose a risk of needle stick injuries due to the difficulty in removing the needle shield, especially for elderly or infirm patients, and existing solutions are cumbersome or require complex tooling for different needle shield sizes.
Innovation Solution
A universal apparatus with resiliently deformable arms that engage with the needle shield, allowing it to be retained within the cap during use, eliminating the need for separate removal and accommodating various shield diameters through varying bend angles and lengths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the needle shield is made small to fit the needle, then it provides adequate protection, but it becomes difficult to remove especially for elderly or infirm patients
Solution Approach 1:
The cap acts as an intermediary tool that incorporates a removal apparatus. When the cap is placed on the device, the removal apparatus engages with the needle shield and automatically pulls it off, eliminating the need for direct manual manipulation of the small shield by the patient
Solution Approach 2:
The removal apparatus is pre-positioned within the cap structure. Before the patient needs to remove the needle shield, the cap is already in place with the removal mechanism ready to engage, transforming a difficult manual task into a simple cap-removal action
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate removal tools are provided for different needle shield sizes, then various shield sizes can be accommodated, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The removal apparatus is designed with resilient arms that can flex and adapt to different diameters. A single universal apparatus structure performs the function of multiple size-specific tools, eliminating the need for separate removal devices for different needle shield sizes
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient arms can change their engagement parameters (position, angle, force) to accommodate various shield diameters. This flexibility allows one apparatus to handle multiple sizes without requiring multiple specialized tools
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
The apparatus safely secures the needle shield within the cap, preventing accidental exposure and simplifying the injection process by integrating with standard caps, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
Implementation Method 1
two or more resiliently deformable arms extending from the wall into the void, wherein the arms are configured to engage the needle shield when the needle shield is received in the void
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus is arranged to receive and retain a needle shield for a medicament delivery device, the apparatus comprising a body comprising a wall defining a void and an opening in a proximal end of the body, the opening arranged to allow at least a part of the needle shield to be received into, and at least partially fill, the void, and arms extending from the wall into the void, wherein the arms are configured to engage the needle shield when the needle shield is received in the void and prevent the needle shield from being withdrawn from the void through the opening in the proximal end and wherein at least one of the arms has a first angle with respect to the wall and at least one of the arms has a second angle with respect to the wall that is different to the first angle.