Stiffness-Varying IV Needle with Temperature Sensing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current IV needles are rigid, leading to mechanical mismatch with soft tissue, causing potential damage, inflammation, and needle blockages during patient movement, and pose a safety risk for medical personnel due to reusability and rigidity.
Innovation Solution
A stiffness-varying IV needle that converts from a rigid to a soft form at body temperature, featuring a hollow elongated body member with variable stiffness and a biocompatible coating, and an embedded temperature sensor for monitoring core body temperature and detecting drug leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a rigid IV needle is used, then the needle can be easily inserted into the blood vessel, but it causes mechanical mismatch with soft tissue leading to damage, inflammation, and needle blockages during patient movement
Solution Approach 1:
The IV needle employs a shape memory alloy body that dynamically changes its mechanical properties in response to temperature changes. The needle transitions from a rigid state at room temperature (facilitating easy insertion) to a flexible state at body temperature (ensuring tissue compatibility and preventing damage during patient movement). This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between ease of insertion and tissue compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle's stiffness parameter is changed by utilizing the phase transition characteristics of shape memory alloy. At room temperature, the alloy maintains a martensitic phase with low stiffness for easy insertion. Upon exposure to body temperature, it transforms to an austenitic phase with higher stiffness that adapts to tissue mechanics, preventing tissue damage and inflammation while maintaining reliable drug delivery.
2Strength
If a rigid needle is used, then the needle maintains structural integrity, but it poses safety risk for medical personnel due to reusability and rigidity
Solution Approach 1:
The IV needle is designed as a disposable single-use device with integrated temperature sensing capability. The shape memory alloy body maintains sufficient structural integrity for its intended use but is discarded after one use, eliminating the risk of needle stick injuries to medical personnel from reused needles. The disposable nature combined with real-time temperature monitoring ensures both safety and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle incorporates an embedded temperature sensor that autonomously monitors the needle's temperature and detects improper reuse attempts. The sensor provides real-time feedback about the needle's thermal state, alerting medical personnel if the needle is being reused or mishandled, thereby preventing needle stick injuries without requiring additional external monitoring systems.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid needle is used, then the needle maintains its shape, but it creates large gap in mechanical property with soft biological tissue causing tissue inflammation and needle blockage
Solution Approach 1:
The needle utilizes shape memory alloy technology to dynamically adjust its mechanical properties matching the tissue environment. At room temperature, the needle maintains shape stability for precise insertion. Upon contact with body temperature tissue, the alloy transforms to a more compliant state that adapts to the soft biological tissue, eliminating mechanical mismatch, preventing tissue inflammation, and avoiding needle blockage while maintaining adequate shape definition for drug delivery.
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 needle maintains stability during drug delivery without damaging blood vessels, prevents needle-related accidents by being non-reusable, and enhances patient safety and medical service efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a body member implemented in a hollow elongated shape through which drug passes and having a variable stiffness according to body temperature
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a body temperature-responsive and non-reusable stiffness-varying intravenous (IV) needle with an on-site temperature sensing function, an IV infusion set having the same, and a manufacturing method thereof. The stiffness-varying IV needle may include a body member implemented in a hollow elongated shape through which drug passes and having a variable stiffness according to ambient temperature; and a coating member configured to cover the outer surface of the body member and having biocompatibility.