Specialized Filtering Needle Assemblies for Niche Environments
Legal Citation
Summary of the Inventive Concept
A family of filtering needle assemblies tailored to meet the unique demands of high-security, disaster relief, extreme weather, high-altitude, and high-contamination environments, providing enhanced safety, reliability, and performance in these specific contexts.
Background and Problem Solved
The original Filtering Needle Assembly with Seal Plug patent (PCT/US2022/045475) provides a general-purpose solution for administering liquid payloads. However, certain niche environments require specialized features to ensure safe and effective operation. The present inventive concept addresses these limitations by introducing tailored filtering needle assemblies that cater to the distinct needs of these environments.
Detailed Description of the Inventive Concept
The inventive concept encompasses five specialized filtering needle assemblies: high-security, disaster relief, cold-weather, high-altitude, and high-contamination. Each assembly incorporates unique features, such as tamper-evident components, biometric authentication, pressure-sensitive alarms, water-resistance, built-in flashlights, redundant seals, thermal-expansion compensation, altitude-compensation mechanisms, pressure-equalization valves, sterilizable components, UV-C sterilization, and high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) membranes. These features enable the assemblies to operate effectively in their respective environments, ensuring the safe administration of liquid payloads.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The new claims introduce novel combinations of features that are specifically designed to address the challenges of niche environments. The inventive step lies in the tailored integration of these features, which provides a synergistic effect that enhances the overall performance and safety of the filtering needle assemblies in their intended contexts.
Alternative Embodiments and Variations
Alternative embodiments of the inventive concept could include adaptations for other niche environments, such as space exploration, underwater operations, or extreme radiation environments. Variations of the assemblies could also be developed for specific industries, such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, or veterinary medicine.
Potential Commercial Applications and Market
The specialized filtering needle assemblies have significant commercial potential in various industries, including healthcare, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, disaster relief, and national security. The target markets include hospitals, clinics, research institutions, and government agencies operating in high-security, disaster relief, extreme weather, high-altitude, and high-contamination environments.
Section 103 Obviousness Analysis (PHOSITA)
Field of Art
Medical device engineering, specifically needle assembly design for liquid payload administration, with expertise in mechanical design, sealing mechanisms, and filtration technologies
Person of Ordinary Skill (PHOSITA) Profile
A biomedical engineer or medical device designer with advanced degree, 3-5 years experience in medical device design, familiar with needle assembly configurations, sterilization techniques, and environmental adaptation strategies
Obviousness Rationale
A PHOSITA would recognize that the specialized filtering needle assemblies represent predictable variations of the source patent's fundamental needle assembly design by applying known environmental adaptation techniques to an existing medical device platform. The core structural elements of the source patent's filtering needle assembly provide a readily modifiable template for creating environment-specific variations. These modifications represent standard design optimization strategies that would be apparent to a skilled practitioner seeking to enhance device performance in specialized contexts.
Obvious Combinations & Variations
Original Patent Information
| Patent Number | US 11,857,768 |
|---|---|
| Title | Filtering needle assembly with seal plug |
| Assignee(s) | CARRTECH Corp. |