Needle Shielding Device for Closed IV Catheter Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Closed IV catheter systems face challenges with needle shield assemblies that add unnecessary dimensions and pose a risk of unintended release, while also being costly to produce.
Innovation Solution
A closed IV catheter system design featuring a needle shield with resilient arms and a base plate, where the needle is slidingly arranged through the septum and lumen, and the shield is retained within the catheter hub, ensuring secure engagement and easy release, utilizing a plastic material with high creep resistance to prevent accidental needle sticks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a needle shield assembly is added to the closed IV catheter system, then safety against accidental needle sticks is improved, but the volume occupied by the system increases and the risk of unintended release occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The needle shield assembly is nested within the catheter hub structure, with the shield positioned inside the hub cavity and the needle passing through the shield's central opening. This nesting arrangement allows the shield to provide safety functionality without adding external volume to the catheter system.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle shield assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: a base plate for structural support, resilient arms for active shielding, and a central opening for needle passage. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while minimizing overall volume.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a needle shield assembly is added to the closed IV catheter system, then safety against accidental needle sticks is improved, but the device complexity increases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle shield assembly merges multiple functions into a single integrated structure: the base plate provides structural support and positioning, while the resilient arms provide active shielding and automatic engagement. This merging reduces the number of separate components needed and simplifies the overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient arms are designed to automatically engage with the needle during insertion and provide shielding without requiring manual operation. The arms self-adjust based on needle position, eliminating the need for complex control mechanisms or user intervention.
3Reliability
If the needle shield is retained within the catheter hub, then the risk of accidental release is reduced, but the ease of operation for needle withdrawal is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The needle shield assembly incorporates dynamic elements through the resilient arms that can flex and move in response to needle insertion and withdrawal. The arms are retained within the hub during normal operation but can be dynamically released when needed, providing both security and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle shield is pre-positioned within the catheter hub in a retained state before needle insertion. This preliminary positioning ensures the shield is in place to prevent accidental sticks during the procedure, while the retention mechanism is designed to allow easy release after use.
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 design minimizes the volume occupied by the needle shield, reduces the risk of accidental release, and is cost-effective to produce, while providing enhanced safety against needle sticks through secure engagement and easy release mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
wherein the needle shield comprises: at least one resilient arm extending distally from a base plate
Implementation Method 2
utilizing a plastic material with high creep resistance to prevent accidental needle sticks
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
An IV catheter system comprising: a catheter hub (100), said catheter hub comprising: a tubular catheter (101) attached to a catheter hub body (102) at its proximal end; a catheter hub cavity (103) in fluid communication with the lumen of the tubular catheter (101); a tube (105) in fluid communication with the catheter hub cavity (103), said tube (105) extending laterally from the catheter hub body (102); a septum (106), proximally of the catheter hub cavity (103); and an end cavity (107), proximally of the septum (106); a needle hub (200), said needle hub (200) comprising: a needle (201) extending distally from a needle hub body (202), said needle (201) having a bulge (204) at its distal end zone; a needle shield (300), said needle shield (300) comprising: at least one resilient arm (301) extending distally from a base plate (302), said base plate (302) having a through hole for receiving the needle (201) there through; wherein the needle hub (200) is arranged in the catheter hub (100), such that the needle (201) is slidingly arranged through said septum (106) and in the lumen of said catheter (101), such that the needle (201) may be withdrawn proximally from the catheter hub (100); wherein the needle shield (300) is arranged in the end cavity (107) in a retained manner through cooperation between the needle shield (300) and an inner wall of the catheter hub (100) in said end cavity (107), and onto the needle (201), such that the at least one arm (301) rests upon and is spring loaded by the needle (201), and the needle (201) is slidingly arranged within the through hole of the base plate (302), in an assembled state; and wherein the bulge (204) will interact with the base plate (302) when the needle hub (200) is withdrawn from the catheter hub (100) to release the needle shield (300) from the catheter hub (100) and the at least one arm (301) will cover the tip of the needle (201), in a released state, is provided.