Safety Needle Shield Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety needles can be difficult to use and manufacture, often resulting in uncontrolled manipulation and faulty operation, which hinders their effectiveness in preventing hazardous exposure and inadvertent contact with sharp elements.
Innovation Solution
A safety device assembly featuring a medical device with a safety mechanism that includes a housing, a shield member, and first and second locking members, which are configured to selectively engage and disengage to maintain the shield member in predetermined positions, preventing axial movement and facilitating safe handling of the sharp element.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a safety mechanism is added to prevent needle exposure, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety mechanism is divided into separate functional components: a shield member for coverage, locking members for position fixation, and biasing members for automatic return. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, improving overall safety while keeping the design manageable and manufacturable.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield member is positioned within the housing and can move between retracted and advanced positions. The locking members are nested within the housing and engage with the shield member to maintain predetermined positions. This nested arrangement consolidates multiple safety functions within a compact structure, improving safety without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Reliability
If a locking mechanism is used to maintain shield position, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing members automatically return the locking members to the locked position after the shield member is moved to a new position. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual resetting of the locking mechanism, improving ease of operation while maintaining reliable position fixation throughout the device's operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking members are designed to dynamically engage and disengage from the shield member based on its position. The biasing members provide continuous force to keep the locking members in the locked position, allowing the mechanism to adapt automatically as the shield moves between retracted and advanced positions, thereby maintaining both reliability and ease of operation.
3Reliability
If multiple locking members are used to prevent uncontrolled manipulation, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking members are designed with substantially identical configurations and dimensions, allowing them to be manufactured using the same processes and tools. This homogeneity simplifies manufacturing by reducing the variety of parts that must be produced, maintained reliable position fixation, and prevented uncontrolled manipulation of the shield member.
4Ease of operation
If the shield member is made movable between positions, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential uncontrolled manipulation
Solution Approach 1:
The locking members are pre-positioned to engage with the shield member at predetermined positions. The biasing members are pre-loaded to automatically return the locking members to the locked position after the shield is moved. This preliminary preparation ensures that the shield member remains reliably controlled even though it is designed to be movable between retracted and advanced positions.
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 solution enhances the usability and manufacturing efficiency of safety needles by ensuring the shield member can be reliably moved between retracted and advanced positions, effectively preventing inadvertent contact with the needle, thus improving safety and operational reliability.
Implementation Method 1
The first and second locking members each include a biasing member, and the biasing member of each locking member is positioned to cooperate with the other of the first and second locking members to normally bias the locking members towards the locked position
Implementation Method 2
The first and second locking members further include first and second stops, respectively. The first resilient finger is configured and dimensioned for engagement with the second stop, and the second resilient finger is configured and dimensioned for engagement with the first stop to normally bias the first and second locking members towards the locked position
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a safety needle assembly that includes a syringe and a safety mechanism. The safety mechanism includes a housing defining an internal cavity, a shield member at least partially disposed within the internal cavity, and first and second locking members that are configured to selectively engage and maintain the shield member in one or more predetermined positions. The locking members are movable between a locked position, in which the locking members are in engagement with the shield member to substantially prevent axial movement thereof, and a release position, in which the locking members are disengaged from the shield member to permit axial movement thereof. The first and second locking members each include biasing members. The biasing member of the each locking member is positioned to cooperate with the other locking member to normally bias the locking members towards the locked position.