Puncturable Membrane for Safety Syringe Sterility

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional safety syringes allow contaminated ambient air to enter the fluid chamber before needle attachment, potentially contaminating medication during administration.

Innovation Solution

A safety syringe with a barrier at the distal end of the syringe body that remains impermeable until the needle assembly is attached, preventing ambient air from entering the fluid chamber and ensuring a sterile environment for medication withdrawal and injection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the syringe body is left uncovered at the distal end to allow needle attachment, then ease of operation is improved, but sterile reliability deteriorates as ambient air can enter the fluid chamber and contaminate the medication

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveneedle attachmentVSAvoidsterility maintenance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The barrier is pre-installed and hermetically sealed at the distal end of the syringe body before use, maintaining sterility until the moment of needle attachment. This preliminary protective action ensures the fluid chamber remains sealed and sterile during storage and handling, then allows easy access when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The barrier acts as an intermediary element between the sterile fluid chamber and the contaminated ambient environment. It provides a hermetic seal that prevents air and contaminants from entering the fluid chamber, while still allowing the needle to pierce through it during attachment, thus mediating between sterility requirements and operational accessibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the distal end of the syringe body is uncovered to facilitate needle attachment, then ease of operation is improved, but contamination risk increases as ambient air flows into the variable fluid chamber

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveneedle attachmentVSAvoidcontaminant exposure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The barrier is pre-installed and hermetically sealed at the distal end of the syringe body before use, maintaining sterility until the moment of needle attachment. This preliminary protective action ensures the fluid chamber remains sealed and sterile during storage and handling, then allows easy access when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The barrier acts as an intermediary element between the sterile fluid chamber and the contaminated ambient environment. It provides a hermetic seal that prevents air and contaminants from entering the fluid chamber, while still allowing the needle to pierce through it during attachment, thus mediating between sterility requirements and operational accessibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If a barrier is added at the distal end of the syringe body to prevent ambient air entry, then sterile reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesterility maintenanceVSAvoidbarrier structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The barrier is implemented as a thin, flexible membrane that can be hermetically sealed at the distal end of the syringe body. This thin-film approach maintains sterility effectively while adding minimal structural complexity, weight, or volume to the device. The flexibility of the membrane allows it to be pierced by the needle during attachment without compromising the seal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The barrier is pre-installed and hermetically sealed at the distal end of the syringe body before use, maintaining sterility until the moment of needle attachment. This preliminary protective action ensures the fluid chamber remains sealed and sterile during storage and handling, then allows easy access when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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

Maintains sterility of the fluid chamber throughout the medication administration process, preventing contamination of the medication by ambient air and ensuring a sterile injection.

Implementation Method 1

a puncturable barrier to the variable fluid chamber. The puncturable barrier may be punctured at or about the same time when a needle assembly is attached to the syringe body

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhysical containment: Physical Containment

Data Source

PatentUS8894618B2Puncturable membrane for safety syringe

Publication Date: 2014.11.25 CREDENCE MEDSYSTEMS INC

AI summary

A safety syringe may define a variable fluid chamber and detached needle assembly. The variable fluid chamber may be hermetically sealed off from the environment or ambient air until the needle assembly is attached to a syringe body of the safety syringe. A proximal end of the variable fluid chamber is sealed off from the environment via a seal between a piston and syringe body. The distal end of the variable fluid chamber may be sealed off from the environment via a barrier covering the distal end of the syringe body. The barrier may be punctured to allow fluid to through therethrough at or about the same time when the needle assembly is attached to the distal end portion of the syringe body.