Rotating Needle Protection Device for Compact Injector Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing injectors with protection devices are bulky, limiting their size reduction and handleability, and pose challenges in storage and transportation due to the size requirements for needles and medication filling portions.
Innovation Solution
A compact injector design featuring a simpler protection device configuration with a freely rotatable inner member and an outer member that covers and exposes the needle, utilizing a guide passage and restriction portion to ensure safe needle housing and easy operation, allowing for efficient puncturing and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protection device is added to cover the needle before and after puncturing, then safety is improved by preventing careless puncturing, but the size of the injector increases making it bulky and less handleable
Solution Approach 1:
The protection device is designed with an outer member and an inner member where the inner member is rotatably nested within the outer member. The inner member includes a projection that fits into a guide passage in the outer member, allowing compact nesting while maintaining safety coverage of the needle before and after puncturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner member is made freely rotatable around the outer periphery of the needle holding portion, allowing dynamic adjustment of the protection device configuration. This rotational freedom enables the device to adapt to different operational states (before puncturing, during puncturing, after puncturing) without requiring additional space.
2Volume of moving object
If the protection device is made compact to reduce injector size, then handleability is improved, but the complexity of ensuring proper needle coverage and engagement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The projection on the inner member automatically engages with the guide passage in the outer member through rotation, and the restriction portion automatically engages with the inner member to restrict movement. This self-engaging mechanism eliminates the need for complex control systems or additional actuating components.
Solution Approach 2:
The projection acts as an intermediary element between the inner member and the outer member, facilitating automatic engagement and rotation. The guide passage provides a predetermined path that guides the projection, ensuring proper alignment and engagement without requiring complex positioning mechanisms.
3Ease of operation
If the outer member is allowed to move freely to expose the needle during puncturing, then operability is improved, but the needle may inadvertently remain exposed after puncturing reducing safety
Solution Approach 1:
The restriction portion provides automatic feedback control by engaging with the inner member when the projection reaches the predetermined section in the guide passage. This engagement automatically restricts further movement of the outer member, ensuring the needle is covered after puncturing without requiring manual intervention or complex control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide passage is designed with a predetermined section that anticipates the position where the needle should be covered after puncturing. The restriction portion is positioned to engage with the inner member at this predetermined section, automatically performing the needle coverage action before the user needs to manually retract the outer member.
Data Source
AI summary
An injector includes a hollow needle; a main body unit including a needle holding portion that holds the needle; and a protection device configured to cover the needle before and after puncturing a puncture target with the needle. The protection device includes: an inner member attached to the needle holding portion and being freely rotatable around an outer periphery of the needle holding portion; and an outer member configured to (i) cover an order side of the needle and the inner member before puncturing, (ii) expose the needle by moving toward a proximal end side relative to the main body unit at a time of puncturing, and (iii) cover a distal end of the needle by moving toward a distal end side relative to the main body unit after puncturing.