Spring Wire Finger Guard for Injection Device Safety
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current injection devices, both manual and auto-injectors, pose risks of needle-stick injuries and inefficiencies due to design flaws, such as excessive force requirements, incomplete dosing, and discomfort during administration, particularly for users with dexterity issues or elderly patients.
Innovation Solution
A finger guard mechanism using a spring wire attached to the injection device's component, which flexes inward to obstruct the orifice and prevent finger access while allowing the needle to advance, reducing the device's length and enhancing safety by preventing reattachment of the protective needle shield.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the protective needle shield is removed during injection preparation, then the needle becomes accessible for injection, but the risk of needle-stick injuries increases
Solution Approach 1:
The finger guard acts as an intermediary protective element between the user's finger and the needle. It is attached to the outer housing and creates a physical barrier that prevents direct finger access to the needle while still allowing the injection procedure to be performed. The finger guard includes a finger rest area that guides proper finger placement away from the needle path.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective system is segmented into multiple components: the removable protective needle shield for initial protection and sterilization, and the finger guard for operational protection. This segmentation allows each component to serve its specific function - the needle shield protects during storage and preparation, while the finger guard protects during the injection process when the needle is exposed.
2Length of moving object
If the needle is positioned closer to the orifice to reduce device length, then portability improves, but finger access to the needle becomes more difficult to prevent
Solution Approach 1:
The finger guard serves as an intermediary safety mechanism that enables the needle to be positioned close to the orifice for compactness while maintaining safety. It creates a controlled access zone that prevents accidental finger contact with the needle even when the needle is in a forward position near the orifice.
Solution Approach 2:
The finger guard extends the protective barrier into a new spatial dimension - it projects outward from the housing to create a three-dimensional safety zone. This dimensional extension allows the needle to remain close to the orifice in the axial direction while the finger guard provides radial protection by blocking finger access from the exterior.
3Ease of operation
If manual injection devices require continuous button pressing, then user control is maintained, but injection force requirements become too high for users with dexterity problems
Solution Approach 1:
The auto-injector performs the injection function automatically once activated. The spring mechanism self-generates the injection force without requiring the user to manually apply force. The user simply needs to activate the device, after which the spring-driven mechanism automatically delivers the medication, eliminating the need for continuous manual pressing and high force application.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical system requiring continuous user force application is replaced with an automatic spring-driven mechanical system. The spring stores potential energy and converts it to kinetic energy to drive the plunger, substituting the user's manual force with a pre-loaded mechanical force generation system that requires minimal user intervention.
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 finger guard effectively reduces the risk of needle-stick injuries, makes the device shorter and more portable, and simplifies the injection process by eliminating the need for additional springs, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and user effort.
Implementation Method 1
a spring wire attached to the component and comprising an arcuate transversal section biased in a manner to flex inwards
Implementation Method 2
biased in a manner to flex inwards so as to essentially obstruct the orifice for finger access when released but staying enough off-centre to allow the needle to advance through the orifice without touching the spring wire
Data Source
AI summary
The invention refers to a finger guard for an injection device with a hollow injection needle arranged to be hidden inside a component with an orifice prior to use and to be advanced relative to the component through the orifice for inserting it into an injection site, the finger guard comprising a spring wire attached to the component and comprising an arcuate transversal section biased in a manner to flex inwards so as to essentially obstruct the orifice for finger access when released but staying enough off-centre to allow the needle to advance through the orifice without touching the spring wire.