Removable Needle Tips for Sterile Vascular Port Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical treatments involving indwelling catheters for fluid infusion and extraction are prone to increased infection risk due to multiple needle sticks required to locate implanted vascular access ports, causing patient discomfort and potential contamination.
Innovation Solution
Medical devices with removable needle tips and installation/removal tools, utilizing mechanisms like threaded connections, magnets, and vacuum systems to facilitate sterile and efficient attachment and detachment of needle tips on vascular access port needles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple needle sticks are performed to locate the implanted vascular access port, then access to the port is achieved, but patient discomfort increases and infection risk rises
Solution Approach 1:
The needle tip is pre-sterilized and pre-assembled on the needle shaft before insertion. The closed tip protects the sterile lumen during the needle insertion process, allowing the needle to be inserted through the skin and septum without requiring multiple adjustment attempts, thereby reducing infection risk and patient discomfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The closed needle tip acts as an intermediary protective barrier that maintains sterile isolation between the external environment and the sterile lumen during needle insertion and port access. This intermediary structure prevents contamination while allowing successful port localization.
2Ease of operation
If the needle lumen remains open during port access, then fluid infusion and extraction can be performed, but contamination and infection risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The needle tip transitions from a closed sterile state during insertion to an open state after successful port access. The tip can be removed or retracted to allow fluid infusion and extraction while maintaining sterility during the critical insertion phase, dynamically adapting to different operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle system is segmented into a needle shaft and a removable closed tip. This segmentation allows the tip to be separated from the shaft after port access is achieved, enabling fluid flow while maintaining the sterile barrier during insertion. The tip and shaft can be sterilized together as separate components.
3Ease of manufacture
If a simple needle design is used, then manufacturing is easier and cost is reduced, but sterile tip replacement and infection prevention become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The needle is divided into manufacturable segments (shaft and tip) that can be produced separately using standard manufacturing processes, then assembled through simple threading or attachment mechanisms. This segmentation maintains manufacturing simplicity while enabling sterile tip replacement and infection prevention through separate sterilization of components.
Solution Approach 2:
The closed needle tip can be designed as a disposable component that is pre-sterilized and discarded after single use, eliminating the need for complex sterilization procedures on reusable needles. This approach maintains high sterility reliability while keeping manufacturing and operational costs low.
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
Enhances the sterility and efficiency of accessing implanted vascular access ports, reducing patient discomfort and infection risk through expedited and sterile needle tip replacement.
Implementation Method 1
the needle tip holder may comprise a magnet, and the needle tip may comprise a magnetic material
Implementation Method 2
the needle tip receptacle may be configured to hold the needle tip during the installation of the needle tip on the needle shaft with a vacuum force applied to the needle tip
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides medical devices, particularly medical grade needles with removable tips, as well as methods of needle tip installation and removal, and devices therefor. Needle tip installation and removal devices may include needle tip installation and removal tools and kits, including hand held and manipulated tools that facilitate the installation and removal of needle tips, particularly on vascular access port needles. Such installation and removal devices may provide more expedient hook up of the access port for the therapy. Also, the installation and removal of the needle tips may be conducted in a more sterile manner.