Affiliations: [a] Department of Management Information Systems, Hwa Hsia University of Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan | [b] Department of Physical Medical & Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan | [c] Department of Physical Medical & Rehabilitation, Tao-Yuan Ghang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan | [d] Department of Digital Technology Design, National Taipei University of Education, Taipei, Taiwan
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Y.-L. Chen, Department of Digital Technology Design, National Taipei University of Education, Taipei, Taiwan. E-mail:allen@tea.ntue.edu.tw
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Needle-stick injuries accounts for a great proportion of all
medical accidents in developing and undeveloped countries. The main cause of
needle-stick accident injuries is the medical personnel's ``recovering'' the
needle action after injection. OBJECTIVE: This study applies an electronic technique to the needling
instrument for the purpose of automatically detaching the needle. The
proposed method can effectively avoid needle-stick accident injury when
``recovering'' the needle. METHODS: The syringe needle auto-detaching device includes an abutment on
which there is a turntable mechanism composed of a pedestal, a turn-table
and a driving unit. A photo interrupter on the pedestal detects the
rotational angle of the turntable and controls the stepping motor through a
control circuit. An optical sensor is located on the upper end of the
sensing mechanism. When the syringe is inserted into the syringe plughole
the exposed portion of the needle will be detected by the optical sensor.
After the syringe is placed into the plughole, its needle will be detected
by the sensor. At this time the needle will be detached from the syringe and
automatically fall down into the needle collection box. RESULTS: The syringe needle auto-detaching device was fatigue tested for an
extensive period of time (A group: 1000 times/day for 3 ml, B group: 1000
times/day for 5 ml, C group: 1000 times/day for 3 ml and 5 ml staggered, D
group: 1000 times/day for 3 ml and 5 ml randomized). The needle and syringe
detachment rates were 100% in all test groups. CONCLUSIONS: The syringe needle auto-detaching device developed in this
study, in that the clinician performs only one step to dispose a needle. Six
syringe needle sets can be managed sequence second by second. The proposed
device without all of the risk factors of the traditional syringe needle
detachment device.
Keywords: Needle-stick, medical treatment, needling instrument, needle recovering
