Safety Lancet Anti-Reuse Mechanism via Segmented Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional blood collecting lancets are often reused after washing or sterilization, posing a risk of transmitting diseases like AIDS and hepatitis due to inadequate prevention mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A safety lancet design featuring a moving block with a guide and anti-reverse ledge, coupled with a resilient spring and pivotable pressing plate, which restricts reverse movement and ensures the lancet needle cannot be reloaded after use, preventing reuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the connecting piece is made thin film type to enable easy disconnection, then the prevention of reuse is improved, but the reliability of preventing reconnection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting piece is divided into a body portion and a protruding portion that can be selectively disconnected. The protruding portion is designed to break away from the body portion when the pressing plate is actuated, creating a clear separation that prevents reconnection while maintaining structural integrity of the remaining components.
Solution Approach 2:
The protruding portion is extracted as a disposable element that is intentionally designed to be removed or broken off during the first use. This extracted portion serves as the weak link that ensures the device cannot be reused, while the main body retains its functional components.
2Reliability
If the guide is pressed down to restrict reverse movement, then the prevention of reloading is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide is designed as a movable component that transitions from an elevated position (allowing forward movement of the moving block) to a pressed-down position (restricting reverse movement). This dynamic positioning is achieved through the pressing plate mechanism, providing simple yet effective one-way movement control without complex locking systems.
3Ease of operation
If the pressing plate is made pivotable to enable guide pressing, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing plate utilizes a pivotable connection that allows partial rotational movement to achieve the pressing action. This pivotable mounting provides sufficient motion range to press the guide down while maintaining a simple hinge-like connection that minimizes structural complexity compared to linear actuation mechanisms.
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 safety lancet effectively prevents accidental infections by ensuring the device cannot be reused, maintaining non-reusability after a single use and reducing the pain of blood collection through guided forward movement of the lancet needle.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient spring for supporting the rear end of the moving block with a predetermined resilient force
Implementation Method 2
a guide disposed at a rear end of the moving block within the cases, and including an anti-reverse ledge at a front end thereof to selectively restrict reverse movement for reloading of the moving block
Implementation Method 3
a pressing plate pivotably mounted to the upper case on a pivot support that is an axis
Data Source
AI summary
A safety lancet for preventing reuse is provided, including an upper and lower case, moving block, guide, pressing plate, seating recess, and resilient spring. The upper case and a lower cases are coupled together with a space therein and a through-hole at the front to expose a lancet needle. The moving block is movable within the cases. with the lancet needle at the front. The guide is positioned behind the moving block within the cases and includes an anti-reverse ledge to selectively restrict reverse movement for reloading of the moving block. The pressing plate is pivotably mounted to the upper case and includes a stopper on which the moving block is caught, and a pressing projection for pressing the guide. The seating recess is defined in a bottom of the lower case, in which the guide descends and is seated. The resilient spring supports the rear of the moving block.