Retractable Needle Salients for Secure Fixation and Safe Retraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drug delivery devices, particularly safety syringes with retractable needles, face challenges in securely fixing the needle during use while allowing it to be easily retracted afterward without additional complex mechanisms or materials.
Innovation Solution
A drug delivery device featuring a needle with salients on its outer surface, which are used to both fix the needle in place during use and facilitate its retraction into the syringe body after use, eliminating the need for additional elements or complex production steps, and ensuring a strong, reliable connection with the syringe components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional elements made of different material are used to connect the needle with the syringe body, then the needle can be fixed during use and retracted after use, but the production complexity increases and the connection strength may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the needle and the connecting elements into a single integrated component. The salient features are formed directly on the needle body through deformation or molding, eliminating the need for separate connecting elements made of different materials. This integration reduces production complexity while maintaining the dual function of fixation during use and retraction after use.
Solution Approach 2:
The salient features on the needle serve multiple functions: they provide fixation during injection by engaging with the syringe body, and they enable retraction after use by allowing the needle to be pulled back into the syringe. This multi-functionality is achieved without requiring additional specialized components, thereby reducing device complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If additional elements or coatings are applied to the needle, then the needle can be connected to the syringe body, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting features are combined with the needle in a single manufacturing step. The salient features are formed directly on the needle through deformation or molding during the needle manufacturing process itself, eliminating the need for separate application steps for coatings or additional elements. This integration simplifies the overall manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle manufacturing process itself creates the connecting features through self-service. The salient features are generated as an inherent part of the needle fabrication, rather than requiring external processes to add separate connecting elements. This reduces the number of production steps while maintaining connection functionality.
3Device complexity
If the needle is made with integrated salients from the same material, then production steps are reduced and connection strength is increased, but the design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle is segmented into functional zones through the salient features, which are distinct geometric sections along the needle body. These segments provide specific functions (fixation, retraction) without requiring separate components. The segmentation is achieved through deformation or molding of the existing needle material, maintaining material uniformity while creating functional diversity.
Solution Approach 2:
The salient features introduce asymmetric geometry to the otherwise cylindrical needle. The asymmetric shapes of the salients engage with corresponding features in the syringe body, enabling directional fixation and retraction. This asymmetric design is achieved through deformation or selective molding, adding geometric complexity without requiring additional materials or components.
Data Source
Figure 1a~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5a~5b
AI summary
Drug delivery device, comprising a retractable needle (1), which a distal and a proximal end comprises an inner surface (4) forming a channel (6), outer surface (5), a first salient (7) located on the outer surface.