Pen Needle Sterility Barrier and Storage Container
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pen needle storage containers are bulky and inconvenient for carrying, as they store multiple new needles without a means to manage used needles, and existing solutions do not provide a compact and user-friendly way to access and dispose of pen needles while maintaining sterility.
Innovation Solution
A storage container with an upper housing movably connected to a lower housing, allowing access to new pen needles and disposal of used ones, featuring a sterility barrier that moves along the needle's longitudinal axis for access, and a compact design that facilitates carrying, with various sterility barrier configurations to prevent microbial interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pen needles are stored in a container without a sterility barrier, then access to the needle is easier, but the needle becomes contaminated by microbial interaction
Solution Approach 1:
A sterility barrier acts as an intermediary between the needle and the external environment. The barrier includes a puncturable portion that allows the needle to pierce through it, providing both protection from microbial contamination and access to the needle when needed. This resolves the contradiction by mediating between sterility requirements and ease of access.
Solution Approach 2:
The sterility barrier is pre-positioned over the needle before use, maintaining sterility during storage and transport. The puncturable portion is designed to be broken or pierced at the moment of use, allowing preliminary protection while enabling easy access when needed. This preliminary action prevents contamination while maintaining operational ease.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple new pen needles are stored in a container, then the container serves more functions, but the container becomes bulky and inconvenient for carrying
Solution Approach 1:
The container is designed with a compact structure where components are nested within each other. The sterility barrier can be integrated with the container walls, and the overall design allows the container to maintain multiple storage functions while minimizing external dimensions and weight for portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The container serves multiple functions: storing multiple new needles, providing sterility barriers, enabling easy access through the puncturable barrier, and facilitating disposal. By integrating these functions into a single compact unit, the container achieves versatility without increasing bulkiness.
3Ease of operation
If a sterility barrier is removed from the pen needle, then access to the needle is easier, but the needle is exposed to microbial contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The puncturable sterility barrier serves as a temporary intermediary that maintains sterility during storage but allows easy access when needed. The needle pierces through this barrier at the moment of use, eliminating the need to remove the barrier entirely while maintaining both sterility and ease of access.
Solution Approach 2:
The sterility barrier is pre-configured with a puncturable portion that anticipates the need for access. Rather than requiring removal, the barrier is designed to be pierced through in advance of actual needle use, maintaining sterility until the moment of access while enabling easy operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A pen needle includes a hub having a first opening at a first end and a second opening at a second end. A needle is connected to the hub and extends through the first opening at the first end. Access to the needle through the second opening is prevented by a sterility barrier, which has a movable portion that is moved along a longitudinal axis of the needle to provide access to the needle. A storage container includes a housing having a plurality of cavities to receive a plurality of pen needles. A cover is rotatably connected to the housing and is rotated such that an access portion thereof is aligned with one of the cavities, thereby providing access to the pen needle in the cavity.