Needle Wing Protector Enclosing Sharp Tip
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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, as they do not effectively manage the sharp tip of medical needles.
Innovation Solution
A device with a central body and semi-rigid wings that can be closed to protect the user, featuring a removable needle wing protector with a press fit mechanism, textured surfaces, and a gripping lip, which slides over the wings to secure the needle, providing protection from the sharp tip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current safety devices are used for medical needles, then protection from needle stick injuries is provided, but the devices are difficult to use and do not meet clinical protocols
Solution Approach 1:
The removable needle wing protector is designed to slide over and enclose the needle within the wing structure, creating a nested configuration where the protective shield contains the hazardous needle element. This nesting approach provides reliable protection while maintaining ease of operation through simple sliding motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The device separates the protective function from the needle delivery function by making the needle wing protector removable. This segmentation allows the protector to be easily attached and detached, improving ease of operation while maintaining protection reliability during critical phases.
2Ease of operation
If wings are provided to assist with needle placement and removal, then ease of operation is improved, but protection from the sharp tip is not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the wing structure (designed for ease of operation) with the protective shield (designed for safety) into an integrated needle wing protector. This combination allows the wings to maintain their ergonomic function while simultaneously providing enclosure of the sharp tip, eliminating the trade-off between ease of operation and protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective shield is nested within the wing structure, creating a combined component that delivers both functions. The shield encloses the needle while the wings provide gripping surfaces and structural support, achieving both ease of operation and protection from harmful factors.
3Reliability
If a removable needle wing protector is added to enclose the needle, then protection from the sharp tip is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle wing protector is designed as a removable component that can be easily attached and detached, transforming a potentially complex permanent structure into a dynamic, flexible system. This removability simplifies the overall device architecture while maintaining reliable enclosure of the needle tip during use.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of integrating the protector permanently into the device structure, the invention inverts the approach by making it removable and slide-on. This inversion reduces structural complexity while achieving the same protective function through a simpler, more modular design.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices and methods for protecting a user from a sharp tip of a medical needle include a pair of wings in attachment to the central body portion to protect a user from the sharp tip of the medical needle. The method includes withdrawing a sharp tip of a medical needle from a patient and closing a pair of wings with the medical needle positioned between the wings so as to protect a user from the sharp tip of the medical needle.