Retractable Sheath Safety Needle System for Biohazard Containment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing medical needle systems pose risks of cross-contamination, transmission of blood-borne diseases, and accidental needle sticks due to the biohazard risks associated with contacting body tissues and fluids.

Innovation Solution

The safety needle system incorporates a housing with a needle mount, a retractable sheath that telescopically engages with the housing, and a slider that modulates the coupling force between the sheath and the medical device, allowing for safe needle removal and containment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a needle is used to contact body tissue and fluids for medical procedures, then medical treatment function is achieved, but biohazard risks including cross-contamination and transmission of blood-borne diseases occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemedical treatment functionVSAvoidbiohazard risks

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The needle is extracted from direct exposure to the environment by enclosing it within a sheath after use. The sheath is drawn over the needle through a coupling mechanism that engages with the medical device, effectively removing the hazardous needle from potential contact with healthcare workers and isolating it within a contained structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The needle is nested within the sheath, which itself is coupled to the medical device. This nested arrangement allows the needle to be contained within the sheath while maintaining the functional connection to the medical device during use, and then securely enclosed after use to prevent biohazard exposure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Reliability

If a needle is used for medical procedures, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but accidental needle sticks or punctures to users or handlers occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment effectivenessVSAvoidaccidental needle sticks

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The sheath is pre-positioned and coupled to the medical device before needle use. After the needle completes its function, the coupling mechanism automatically or manually draws the sheath over the needle, preliminarily preparing the containment structure before the needle becomes hazardous, thereby preventing accidental sticks during subsequent handling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The sheath acts as an intermediary between the needle and the external environment. It provides a protective barrier that mediates the transition of the needle from an exposed functional state to a contained safe state, preventing direct contact between the hazardous needle and healthcare workers or handlers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If a retractable sheath is used to contain the needle after use, then safety against needle sticks is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveneedle stick preventionVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sheath coupling mechanism is merged with the medical device structure, integrating the safety containment function into the existing device architecture. This integration reduces the need for separate, additional components and simplifies the overall structure while maintaining the retractable sheath functionality for needle containment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Ease of operation

If the sheath is coupled to the medical device to enable automatic retraction, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to coupling mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafe needle removalVSAvoidcoupling mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The coupling mechanism between the sheath and medical device is designed to automatically draw the sheath over the needle upon removal from the patient's body. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual operation by the user, automatically activating the containment function and improving ease of operation while keeping the coupling mechanism relatively simple.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS20250099719A1Safety needle system operable with a medical device

Publication Date: 2025.03.27 TANGENT MEDICAL TECH LLC

AI summary

A safety needle system operable with a medical device includes: a housing with a needle mount having a needle; and a sheath telescopically engaged with the housing and surrounding the needle such that the sheath operates in a retracted position, in which the sheath exposes the needle, and an extended position, in which the sheath surrounds the needle. The sheath is coupleable to the medical device such that removal of the needle from the medical device draws the sheath over the needle, transitioning the sheath from the retracted position to the extended position. In one embodiment, the system includes a slider engaged with the sheath and/or housing and including a restraint that engages and disengages the sheath to respectively reinforce and weaken the coupling of the sheath and medical device. In another embodiment, the sheath includes a longitudinal track that slidingly engages a setting of the housing between sheath positions.