Nested Slidable Sheath for Safe Intravenous Puncture Needle

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing intravenous needles pose safety risks during disposal and cause patient pain due to mechanical retraction mechanisms, which fail to adequately protect the needle head and can lead to injuries for medical staff and discomfort for patients.

Innovation Solution

A disposable safe vein transfusion puncture needle design featuring a tubular needle base with multiple slidable components and limiting mechanisms that unfold to shield the needle head during use and after use, reducing the operating portion length and minimizing pain by using a flexible hose and elastic washers to secure the components, preventing exposure and potential skin nipping.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a retractable needle mechanism using spring elastic force is used to protect the needle head, then the safety of medical staff is improved, but the patient experiences great pain due to the mechanical motion of retraction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety of medical staffVSAvoidpain suffered by patient
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The protective sheath is divided into multiple slidable components that can move independently along the needle base. This segmentation allows the protection mechanism to unfold gradually without sudden mechanical motion, reducing patient pain while maintaining safety functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using elastic force to actively retract the needle head into the sheath (which causes pain), the invention inverts the approach by using limiting mechanisms to passively secure the slidable components in their retracted position. The protection is achieved by preventing movement rather than forcing movement, eliminating the painful retraction action.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If multiple slidable components are used to shield the needle head, then the safety level is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety levelVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple slidable components are nested within each other, with each component able to slide along the needle base independently. This nesting arrangement allows the protective sheath to extend along the length of the needle base, providing comprehensive coverage while maintaining a compact structure when retracted.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The slidable components are pre-positioned in a retracted state within the needle base, with limiting mechanisms already in place to secure them. This preliminary arrangement ensures that the protection mechanism is ready for use without requiring complex activation sequences or additional control systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the needle base length is increased to accommodate the slidable components, then the shielding capability is improved, but the operating portion length increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshielding capabilityVSAvoidoperating portion length
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The slidable components are nested within the needle base structure, allowing them to extend along the length of the needle base when activated. This nesting approach enables the protective sheath to cover the entire needle length without requiring additional length beyond what is already present in the needle base.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The slidable components transition from a retracted state (when not in use) to an extended state (when shielding is needed). This dynamic behavior allows the protective sheath to adapt its length based on operational requirements, providing full coverage when needed while maintaining a compact form during storage and handling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 enhances safety by ensuring the needle head is shielded during and after use, reducing the risk of injury and pain for both patients and medical staff, while also optimizing the needle base length through a layered slidable component structure.

Implementation Method 1

a plurality of elastic washers circumferentially attached to inner walls of the slidable components and/or circumferentially disposed on outer walls of the slidable components; the plurality of elastic washers are adapted for engaging with one another and/or engaging with the needle base, so as to secure the slidable components to the needle base and to secure the slidable components to one another

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic force: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3093034B1Disposable Anti-acupuncture intravenous infusion puncture needle
Publication Date: 2019.12.18 SHANGHAI JINTA MEDICAL
  • EP3093034B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3093034B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3093034B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A disposable safe vein transfusion puncture needle comprising a needle head (4), a needle base (3), a needle sheath sleeved on the needle head (4), and a hose (6) communicated with the needle base (3), and further comprising a plurality of slidable components (1, 2) and a plurality of limiting mechanisms (11, 12, 13, 21, 31, 32), wherein the needle base (3) is in a tubular shape, with one end stationary and communicated with the needle head (4) and the other end connected to the hose (6); each of the slidable components (1, 2) is in a tubular shape and has two open ends, the plurality of slidable components (1, 2) are sleeved on one another, the innermost slidable component (1) is movably sleeved onto the needle base (3), and a sum of lengths of the plurality of slidable components (1, 2) in a moving direction is longer than the length of the needle head (4); the limiting mechanisms (11, 12, 13, 21, 31, 32) are disposed on the plurality of slidable components (1, 2) as well as on the needle base (3). By providing a plurality of slidable components (1, 2) sleeved on the needle base (3) in a layered manner, the operating portion length of the disposable safe vein transfusion puncture needle is made shorter, and by unfolding the slidable components (1, 2) layer by layer so as to shield the needle head (4) during use and after use, the safety level is increased and the pain suffered by the patient is alleviated.