Needle Stick Guard Rocker Mechanism for Seldinger Catheter Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

The Seldinger method for installing central catheters poses a risk of needle stick injury to operators during the handling of needles.

Innovation Solution

A needle stick guard with a rocker mechanism that allows rotation and has three positions: locking, unlocking, and protection, which securely traps the needle's sharp end, preventing accidental exposure, and an immobilization element to maintain the guard in place during procedures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a needle is used for catheter installation by the Seldinger method, then the catheter can be successfully installed, but the operator is at risk of needle stick injury

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecatheter installation successVSAvoidneedle stick injury risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A guard body is introduced as an intermediary element between the operator and the needle. The guard body includes a receiving cavity that accommodates the needle and a protection cap that covers the needle tip, preventing direct contact between the operator and the sharp needle end while allowing the catheter installation procedure to proceed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The needle assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: the needle itself, the guard body containing the receiving cavity, and the protection cap. This segmentation allows the needle to be isolated within the guard structure, separating the harmful sharp end from the operator while maintaining the functional integrity of the catheter installation system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a needle stick guard is added to the puncturing kit, then needle stick risk is eliminated, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveneedle stick injury riskVSAvoidpuncturing kit structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The guard body and protection cap are designed to be integrated with the existing needle and catheter components. The guard body's receiving cavity is shaped to accommodate the needle, and the protection cap attaches to the needle assembly, merging multiple protective functions into a unified structure that does not require separate complex mechanisms

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The guard body and protection cap are designed as disposable components that are discarded after a single use. This approach simplifies the overall device design by eliminating the need for complex reusable mechanisms, sterilization protocols, and maintenance procedures, while providing effective protection during the critical catheter installation phase

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Reliability

If the rocker mechanism with three positions is implemented, then needle control is improved, but the operation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveneedle control safetyVSAvoidoperation simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The rocker mechanism provides dynamic control of the needle through three distinct positions: an insertion position where the needle tip protrudes for catheter puncture, a retraction position where the needle is pulled back into the guard body, and an intermediate position. The rocker allows smooth transitions between these positions, enabling the operator to control needle exposure dynamically based on procedural needs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The rocker mechanism is designed to be operated by the operator's natural hand movements during the catheter installation procedure. The mechanical linkage automatically translates rocker movement into corresponding needle position changes, eliminating the need for separate control mechanisms and allowing the operator to maintain intuitive control over needle exposure throughout the procedure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS8585650B2Needle stick guard, and puncturing kit including such a needle stick guard

Publication Date: 2013.11.19 VYGON SA

AI summary

The invention relates to a needle stick guard for an anti-needle-stick puncturing kit for positioning a catheter according to the Seldinger technique, including a rocker having a journal so as to enable same to rotate about an axis, and an outer tip for locking the needle stick guard together with a base of another element of the puncturing kit. The rocker comprises three positions: a position in which it is locked together with another element of the puncturing kit; a position in which it is unlocked from the other element of the puncturing kit; and a protection position for trapping a sharp end of a needle in the guard.