Reconfigurable Needle Set Packaging for Single-Use Tube Holding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing blood collection sets are costly to manufacture and assemble, and their components are often reused, posing health risks and potential for cross-contamination in economically disadvantaged communities.
Innovation Solution
A package that reconfigures into a holder for the fluid collection set, eliminating the need for separate assembly and preventing reuse by integrating a tray with a removable cover and snap-fit connections to securely hold the needle assembly during use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate holder and needle assembly components are manufactured and assembled, then the fluid collection set can be properly constructed, but manufacturing costs and assembly time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the holder and needle assembly into a single integrated unit where the holder is formed as one piece with the needle assembly, eliminating the need for separate manufacturing and assembly of these components. This merging reduces manufacturing costs and simplifies the overall device structure while maintaining all necessary functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated holder-needle assembly unit serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, maintains sterility, enables proper fluid collection, and facilitates safe disposal. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate specialized components, reducing both manufacturing complexity and cost.
2Ease of manufacture
If the holder is reused to save costs, then manufacturing expenses decrease, but health risks and cross-contamination increase
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated holder-needle assembly is designed as a disposable single-use unit that is discarded after one use. This eliminates cross-contamination risks associated with reuse while keeping costs manageable through simplified design and manufacturing. The disposable nature ensures sterility and patient safety without requiring complex sterilization or inspection systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The design facilitates easy discarding of the entire holder-needle assembly unit after use. By integrating all components into one disposable unit, the system eliminates the need to separately manage, sterilize, or inspect individual components for reuse, thereby preventing cross-contamination while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
3Productivity
If multiple separate components are assembled before packaging, then the fluid collection set can be properly configured, but assembly time and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The holder and needle assembly are pre-integrated into a single unit during manufacturing, so no assembly is required before packaging or use. This preliminary integration eliminates assembly time and labor costs while ensuring proper configuration, allowing the product to be packaged and deployed immediately without additional processing steps.
4Device complexity
If traditional separate components are used, then each component can be optimized independently, but the overall device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the holder and needle assembly into a single integrated structure, the patent reduces the total number of components and simplifies the overall device structure. This integration maintains manufacturing simplicity through unified production processes while eliminating the complexity of assembling and coordinating multiple separate parts.
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
Reduces manufacturing and assembly costs while ensuring sterile use and preventing reuse, thereby enhancing safety and hygiene in blood collection procedures.
Implementation Method 1
After assembly, a package is thermoformed about the contours of the holder, needle assembly, and/or the shield to form a sterile blister pack.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B~1C
Figure 2
AI summary
A package for a needle assembly includes a tray defining a compartment in a first configuration for receiving the needle assembly. The tray can be reconfigured in a second configuration to form a holder configured to hold the needle assembly during fluid collection.