Pivoting Shield Safety Needle Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety needle assemblies require manual operation or complex activation mechanisms for shielding, which can disrupt the patient and hinder single-handed operation, posing a risk of needle stick injuries.
Innovation Solution
A safety needle assembly with a spring-biased pivoting shield that is automatically activated during the blood collection procedure, using a retaining member and actuator to move the shield from a retracted to a shielded position upon insertion of a blood collection tube, eliminating the need for manual operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a telescoping shield is used with an actuator triggered during standard operation, then needle shielding effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases and patient disruption occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The shield assembly is designed to automatically pivot to the shielded position through its own spring bias mechanism when the actuator is released during standard blood collection operation. The system serves itself by utilizing the natural spring force already present in the pivoting shield design, eliminating the need for additional actuators or complex control mechanisms while maintaining reliable needle protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivoting shield is pre-biased by a spring to automatically move to the shielded position when released. This preliminary spring loading ensures that upon actuator release during standard operation, the shield quickly and reliably covers the needle without requiring additional activation steps or complex mechanisms.
2Ease of operation
If manual operation is required to move the shield, then device complexity is reduced, but ease of operation deteriorates and needle stick risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shield assembly automatically transitions to the protected state through its inherent spring bias mechanism when the actuator is released during normal blood collection procedure. This self-activating design eliminates the need for manual shield operation while maintaining simple device architecture, allowing single-handed operation and reducing needle stick risks without adding complex control systems.
3Reliability
If the shield is biased to the shielded position, then needle protection is improved, but the shield may disrupt the patient during insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The pivoting shield is designed with a spring bias that allows it to dynamically adjust its position. During needle insertion, the shield remains in the retracted position to avoid patient disruption. After insertion is complete and the actuator is released, the spring bias automatically pivots the shield to cover the needle, providing protection only when needed without interfering with the insertion process.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring bias is pre-loaded to provide shielding force, but the shield is initially held in the retracted position by the actuator. This preliminary spring loading ensures that when the actuator is released after blood collection, the shield quickly pivots to protect the needle without having been in the way during the insertion phase.
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 solution provides automatic and passive shielding of the needle cannula, minimizing exposure to the used needle and ensuring safety without additional user action, reducing the risk of needle stick injuries and maintaining ease of use during medical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
A biasing member, such as a spring, biases the pivoting shield towards the shielded position
Data Source
AI summary
A blood collection assembly includes a needle cannula, a hub mounted on the needle cannula, and a spring biased pivoting shield pivotably mounted to the hub and moveable about a pivot axis between a retracted position and a shielded position encompassing a distal end of the needle cannula. A needle holder is mated at a first end with the hub, and is adapted for receiving a blood collection container such as an evacuated tube through the opposing end. A retaining member is attached to the pivoting shield and is releasably engageable with the hub to maintain the pivoting shield in the retracted position against the spring bias. Insertion of a blood collection tube into the needle holder causes the retaining member to release from engagement with the hub, thereby causing the pivoting shield to move toward the shielded position due to the spring bias.