Retractable Needle Fluid Transfer Device with Sealed Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical devices with retractable needles face challenges in preventing accidental needle stick injuries and blood-borne pathogen exposure due to leakage of fluids after use, as existing solutions do not effectively seal the needle in a retractable position.
Innovation Solution
A fluid transfer device with a retractable needle assembly that includes a hollow housing, a biased needle, and a septum, where the needle is sealed within the housing in the retracted position, and an absorbent sponge to contain any residual fluid, ensuring safety and preventing accidental retraction until intentionally deactivated.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the needle is made retractable to prevent needle stick injuries, then safety is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional components needed for retraction and sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into integrated components: the needle retainer and actuator work as a unified locking mechanism, the biasing element integrates with the needle assembly for automatic retraction, and the septum is positioned to simultaneously seal both the needle and fluid pathway. This merging reduces the number of separate components while maintaining safety functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle is nested within the hollow housing when retracted, with the needle assembly fitting inside the housing cavity. The septum is positioned within the housing to seal around the retracted needle. This nesting arrangement compactly houses the retractable mechanism without requiring additional external components.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the needle is retracted and sealed within the housing to prevent fluid leakage, then pathogen containment is improved, but the ease of operation decreases due to the multi-step retraction and sealing process
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing element is pre-loaded to automatically propel the needle rearwardly when released, eliminating the need for manual retraction force. The needle retainer is designed to automatically engage with the needle in the extended position, so that upon actuator release, the retraction sequence initiates immediately without requiring additional user actions. This preliminary positioning and pre-loading simplifies the user's interaction to a single actuator press.
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs self-contained sealing through the interaction of the retracted needle with the septum and the housing. Once the needle is retracted by the biasing element, it automatically engages with the septum to seal the fluid pathway, and the housing encloses the needle tip. This self-sealing mechanism eliminates the need for separate sealing actions by the user, making the containment process automatic and reducing operational complexity.
3Reliability
If a biasing element is used to automatically retract the needle, then the reliability of retraction is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the addition of spring mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing element is integrated into the needle assembly structure, with the spring housed within the needle hub or adjacent to the needle shaft. The actuator mechanism combines the release function with the biasing element activation, so that pressing the actuator simultaneously releases the needle retainer and allows the biasing element to engage. This merging reduces the need for separate retraction motors or actuators.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent describes a disposable fluid transfer device where the entire assembly including the biasing element is designed for single use. This allows the use of simple, cost-effective spring mechanisms without requiring complex recovery or sterilization systems. The disposable nature eliminates the need for durable, reusable components, simplifying the overall device design while maintaining reliable automatic retraction.
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 device effectively prevents needle stick injuries and contains blood-borne pathogens by ensuring the needle is fully retracted and sealed, reducing the risk of fluid leakage and exposure during handling.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing element (18) biases the needle (34) toward the retracted position
Implementation Method 2
the sharpened tip being sealably enclosed within the housing in the retracted position
Implementation Method 3
an absorbent sponge to contain any residual fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A sealed fluid transfer device comprised of tubing, a proximal fitting, and a distal needle assembly is provided. The needle assembly includes a needle hub secured to a needle cannula. A cantilevered actuator arm extends outwardly from the needle hub having an actuator button at its free end. The needle assembly is disposed in a barrel and can move from a distal position, where the needle is exposed, to a proximal position, where the needle is shielded. The barrel includes a septum which seals the barrel. A spring is disposed in the barrel for propelling the needle assembly to the proximal position. The barrel includes an aperture that receives the actuator button for locking the spring in a compressed condition. Depression of the actuator button enables the spring to propel the needle assembly into its proximal position. A safety mechanism prevents inadvertent depression of the actuator button.