Pneumatic Retractable Needle Syringe for Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional syringes with non-retractable needles pose a risk of accidental exposure to communicable diseases due to the difficulty in safely covering the needle after use, leading to potential self-injury during disposal.

Innovation Solution

A pneumatically-actuated retractable-needle syringe design that includes a syringe barrel, plunger, needle hub, and a propellant release cell, where a post-injection force activates the retraction mechanism, allowing the needle to safely retract into the syringe barrel, reducing the risk of exposure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a protective cap is provided to cover the needle after use, then the risk of accidental exposure is reduced, but the complexity of the device increases and the ease of operation deteriorates due to the risk of missing the cap during capping

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccidental needle stick riskVSAvoidease of capping

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The syringe automatically performs the protective function by retracting the needle into the barrel after injection, eliminating the need for manual capping operations. The system serves itself by using the plunger's rearward movement to trigger the retraction mechanism, which then autonomously retracts the needle without requiring user intervention or a separate cap.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a protective cap is provided to cover the needle after use, then the risk of accidental exposure is reduced, but the device complexity increases due to additional components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccidental needle stick riskVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The protective function is merged with the existing syringe structure by integrating the retraction mechanism into the barrel and plunger assembly. The needle retraction feature utilizes the existing plunger movement and barrel structure, combining the protective function with the injection mechanism rather than adding a separate capping system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of moving the protective cap onto the needle after use, the invention inverts the approach by retracting the needle into the barrel. This reverse engineering of the protective mechanism eliminates the need for external caps while achieving the same safety objective.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the needle is made retractable to improve safety, then the risk of accidental exposure is reduced, but the device complexity increases due to the retraction mechanism

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccidental needle stick riskVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The needle transitions from a static, fixed position to a dynamic, movable position that can retract into the barrel. The retraction mechanism allows the needle to change its state from exposed to retracted based on the plunger's movement, providing adaptive safety functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The false bottom acts as an intermediary component that facilitates the retraction mechanism. It provides a structural element that can move relative to the barrel, enabling the needle to be released and retract without requiring complex direct coupling between the needle and plunger.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Ease of operation

If a retractable needle mechanism is implemented, then the ease of operation improves by eliminating manual capping, but the device complexity increases due to the retraction mechanism

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of disposalVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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 syringe effectively reduces the risk of accidental needle sticks by ensuring the needle is safely retracted within the syringe after use, enhancing user safety during disposal and handling.

Implementation Method 1

a propellant release cell positioned distally of the needle hub and containing a propellant, and a rupture mechanism positioned to puncture the propellant release cell in response to the application of the post-injection force by a user to thereby drive retraction of the retraction assembly within the retraction lumen

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPneumatic pressure: Pressure Increase

Data Source

PatentUS10765815B2Retractable needle syringe

Publication Date: 2020.09.08 L O M LAB

AI summary

A pneumatically activated retractable-needle syringe comprising a syringe barrel, a plunger, a needle, a needle hub, a locking tip, a propellant gas release cell and a rupture mechanism is provided. The plunger has a retraction lumen defined therein for receiving the needle when the retractable-needle syringe is actuated.