Plug With Radial Protrusion For Stable Fluid Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plugs for bodily fluid-collecting containers require excessive force for insertion and can lead to incomplete blood collection due to increased frictional resistance, causing wobbling of the holder during the process, which complicates stable and reliable fluid collection.
Innovation Solution
A plug design featuring a cover member with a radially outward protrusion that increases frictional resistance with the holder's inner wall, reducing the thickness of the pierceable portion and enhancing the resilience of the sheath to prevent needle backdraw, thus facilitating easier and more reliable insertion and collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the thickness of the pierceable portion is increased to reduce frictional resistance during insertion, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of preventing needle backdraw deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The plug body is divided into functionally distinct portions: a pierceable portion with smaller thickness for easy needle penetration, and a main body portion with larger thickness for providing frictional resistance against holder inner wall. This segmentation allows each portion to optimize its thickness for its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the plug body have different thickness characteristics tailored to their specific functions. The pierceable portion has reduced thickness locally to minimize insertion resistance, while the main body maintains sufficient thickness to ensure reliable needle retention through frictional engagement with the holder.
2Ease of operation
If the thickness of the pierceable portion is decreased to reduce initial piercing resistance, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of maintaining plug position deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The plug body is segmented into a thin pierceable portion for low piercing resistance and a thicker main body portion for position stability. The main body portion's greater thickness provides sufficient contact area with the holder inner wall to maintain reliable frictional engagement and prevent plug displacement during blood collection.
3Ease of manufacture
If a uniform thickness design is used for the plug body, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to increased piercing resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The plug body employs non-uniform thickness distribution with a locally reduced thickness zone at the pierceable portion. This local quality variation significantly reduces piercing resistance while the main body maintains sufficient thickness for structural integrity and frictional engagement, achieving a balance between operational ease and manufacturing feasibility.
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 increased frictional resistance prevents needle backdraw and reduces initial piercing resistance, allowing for easier and stable bodily fluid collection by maintaining the plug in place during the process.
Implementation Method 1
a force in the direction indicated by the arrow A is applied to the plug body 106... owing to a resilience of the sheath 104 made of an elastic material
Implementation Method 2
The outer surface of a side part 107a of the cover member 107 is provided with a plurality of vertically extending ribs 107b... The protrusion which protrudes radially outward of the side part of the cover member to come into contact with and give frictional resistance to an inner wall of the holder
Data Source
AI summary
A plug that allows the plug body to be easily and reliably pierced through by a hollow bodily fluid collection needle, makes the bodily fluid collection needle difficult to draw back out of the plug body owing to a resilience of a sheath after the start of bodily fluid collection, and enables easy and reliable collection of the bodily fluid. The plug 1 is a plug for closing an opening end of a bodily fluid-collecting container 14 which is to be inserted into a tubular holder 11, and includes: a plug body 2 to be fixed to the opening end of the bodily fluid-collecting container 14; and a cover member 3 sheathed on the plug body 2 to cover an outer surface of the plug body 2, wherein the cover member 3 includes a side part 3c covering the outer surface of the plug body 2, and an outer surface of the side part 3c is provided with a protrusion 3k which protrudes radially outward of the side part 3c of the cover member 3 to come into contact with and give frictional resistance to an inner wall of the holder 11 upon insertion into the holder 11.