Safety Syringe Needle Retraction via Stopper Anchoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current injection systems, particularly safety syringes, face challenges such as medicine spilling/leaking, parts breakage during Luer coupling, and risks associated with needle exposure. Additionally, there is a need for improved safety features that can utilize existing pre-filled syringe assemblies while meeting stringent safety and regulatory standards.
Innovation Solution
The proposed system includes a syringe body with an interior medicine chamber, a stopper member to contain medicine, a plunger member for manual manipulation, and a needle with an anchoring geometry at the proximal end. This design allows the needle to be pulled proximally and contained within the syringe body upon retraction of the stopper member, enhancing safety and preventing reinsertion of the needle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a retractable needle mechanism is implemented, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle is nested within the syringe body, allowing it to be retracted into the body cavity after use. The proximal end of the needle is received within the interior medicine chamber of the syringe body, creating a compact safe-storage configuration that reduces harm while maintaining simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
A stopper member acts as an intermediary element between the needle and the syringe body. The stopper member engages with the needle during retraction, facilitating the safe containment of the needle within the syringe body without requiring complex mechanical mechanisms.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the needle is made retractable, then safety is improved, but reliability may worsen due to potential malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes the stopper member's movement during normal injection operations to automatically trigger needle retraction. When the stopper member is pulled back to its initial position, it releases the needle from the Luer coupling, allowing the needle to be retracted by spring force without requiring additional control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle is pre-positioned in a retracted state within the syringe body, ready for immediate deployment when needed. The Luer coupling is designed to automatically engage the needle with the distal interface when the stopper member is in its initial position, ensuring reliable and consistent performance.
3Adaptability or versatility
If existing pre-filled syringe assemblies are used, then adaptability is improved, but safety requirements may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the needle assembly from the pre-filled syringe body, allowing the needle to be independently coupled to the distal interface. This segmentation enables the use of existing pre-filled syringe assemblies while implementing safety features through the detachable needle mechanism that can be reliably coupled and decoupled.
Solution Approach 2:
The Luer coupling serves as an intermediary interface between the needle and the syringe body. The male Luer interface on the needle proximal end couples with the female Luer interface on the distal interface, providing a standardized, reliable connection that maintains compatibility with existing syringe assemblies while enabling controlled needle deployment and retraction.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment is directed to a system for injecting, comprising a syringe body defining an interior medicine chamber; a stopper member configured to be inserted into the interior medicine chamber to contain medicine within the medicine chamber; a plunger member configured to be manually manipulated to insert the stopper member relative to the syringe body; and a needle having proximal and distal ends, the proximal end comprising an anchoring geometry configured to be at least partially inserted into the stopper member such that upon retraction of the stopper member, the needle is pulled proximally along with the stopper to be at least partially contained within the interior medicine chamber.