Telescopic Needle Shield with Spring-Locked Detents
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current needle stick protection devices are inadequate for procedures requiring multiple uses of needles, as they do not allow for selective shielding and unshielding during a procedure and fail to provide permanent locking for disposal, risking needle sticks among medical practitioners.
Innovation Solution
A device with a telescopic housing and spring-biased lock mechanism that allows controlled shielding and unshielding of needles during use and permanent locking for disposal, utilizing detents and recesses to secure the needle within the housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a needle protection device allows selective shielding during use, then the needle can be reused multiple times during a procedure, but the device complexity increases due to the need for locking and releasing mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The device employs a dynamic locking mechanism with a spring-biased lock arm that can transition between locked and unlocked states. The lock arm is spring-loaded to automatically engage with detents on the plunger rod, providing selective shielding capability while maintaining operational simplicity through elastic mechanical action rather than complex actuation systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-biased lock arm automatically engages with detents on the plunger rod without requiring additional actuation. When the plunger rod is inserted into the syringe barrel, the lock arm self-activates to secure the needle in the shielded position, eliminating the need for complex manual locking mechanisms and reducing overall device complexity.
2Reliability
If a needle protection device provides permanent locking for disposal, then needle stick safety is improved, but the ease of operation decreases due to the inability to release the needle
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is segmented into multiple detents along the plunger rod, with the lock arm capable of engaging with different detents at different stages of use. During the procedure, the lock arm engages with intermediate detents allowing controlled shielding, while at disposal, it engages with a final detent that provides permanent locking, thus balancing reliability and operability through staged engagement points.
3Reliability
If a needle protection device uses a spring-biased lock arm, then the locking reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional spring components
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-biased lock arm combines multiple functions into a single component: it provides the locking force through spring bias, acts as the locking element itself, and engages with detents on the plunger rod. This merging of functions reduces the need for separate spring components and additional locking elements, thereby improving reliability while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
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
Enables safe handling and disposal of needles by allowing selective exposure and concealment during procedures and ensuring the needle is permanently shielded once the procedure is complete, reducing the risk of needle sticks and facilitating safe disposal.
Implementation Method 1
a first spring biased lock arm composed of a cantilevered beam, which includes a first side that is adjacent to the first lateral retaining recess, wherein the spring biased lock arm circumferentially forces the first detent within the first lateral retaining recess
Data Source
AI summary
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a needle stick protection device. The device includes a housing shaped and dimensioned for positioning about a syringe with an attached needle. The housing includes a first housing member telescopically coupled to a second housing member. A locking member is associated with a first slot of the first housing member for selectively engaging a first detent to control positioning of the second housing member relative to the first housing member. The locking member includes a first lateral retaining recess formed within the first slot for seating of the first detent when the second housing member is in its forward most position, the first lateral retaining recess being circumferentially located along a side of the first slot. The needle may be selectively covered and uncovered by selective alignment of the first detent with the slot in manner permitting controlled motion of the first housing member relative to the second housing member. The locking member further includes a lateral locking recess formed along the slot and adjacent a second side of the spring biased lock arm opposite the first side of the spring biased lock arm, wherein the needle is permanently covered when the detent is positioned within the lateral locking recess.