Vial Access Adapter Shields Spike for Safe Drug Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Healthcare providers face risks of exposure to hazardous chemotherapy drugs due to unintentional spike stick injuries from vial access devices, necessitating a solution for safe handling and transfer of these drugs.
Innovation Solution
A transitionable adapter for vial access devices that shields the spike when attached to a vial access device, allowing secure attachment to vials of different sizes, preventing accidental contact and ensuring leak-proof sealing during drug transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a vial access device with a spike is used for drug vial access, then efficient fluid transfer is achieved, but the risk of spike stick injuries to patients and healthcare workers increases
Solution Approach 1:
A shield component is introduced as an intermediary element between the spike and the user's fingers. The shield includes a finger rest surface and blocking surface that physically intercepts the spike, preventing direct contact while allowing the vial access device to penetrate the vial stopper. This mediator component resolves the contradiction by maintaining spike functionality for fluid transfer while eliminating the injury hazard.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield is designed to be positioned in advance before the user's fingers can contact the spike. The finger rest surface provides a predetermined safe contact point that directs user pressure away from the spike area. This preliminary protective arrangement prevents the harmful action (spike stick injury) before it can occur, while preserving the spike's ability to access the vial.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a shield is added to protect the spike, then safety against spike stick injuries is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shield component is merged with the vial access device housing, forming an integrated assembly. The shield's finger rest surface and blocking surface are structurally combined with the device body, eliminating the need for separate protective components. This merging reduces overall device complexity while maintaining the protective function against spike stick injuries.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield component serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides a finger rest surface for user comfort and control, creates a physical barrier to prevent spike contact, and guides the orientation of the vial access device during insertion. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby minimizing device complexity while maximizing safety benefits.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the adapter is designed to accommodate different vial sizes, then versatility is improved, but the adapter structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter incorporates flexible or movable components that can dynamically adjust to accommodate different vial sizes. The adapter's gripping surfaces or positioning elements are designed to flex or reposition themselves based on the specific vial dimensions, allowing a single adapter design to universally fit various vial sizes without requiring multiple specialized adapters or complex adjustment mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a vial access device including a spike, with the vial access device attachable to a first vial defining a first vial size, and an adapter transitionable between a shield position in which the adapter is attachable to the vial access device such that the adapter shields the spike of the vial access device and a vial position in which the adapter is attachable to a second vial defining a second vial size, the second vial size different than the first vial size.