Acicular Body with Low Brightness Support Plate for Visual Dissolution Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge lies in creating an acicular body that allows for easy visual observation of its presence and dissolution on the skin, as existing transparent acicular bodies made of materials like hydroxypropyl cellulose or chitosan are difficult to confirm visually once peeled off, making it hard to determine if they have sufficiently dissolved.

Innovation Solution

The acicular body features a support plate with a brightness of 5.0 or less and needles with a light transmission area that has a total light transmittance of 20% or more, allowing for visual confirmation of needle presence and dissolution, with materials like chitosan derivatives and water-soluble polymers used for the needles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If a colorless transparent adhesive and a substantially colorless transparent acicular body made of hydroxypropyl cellulose or chitosan are used, then the appearance of the acicular body is improved and adhesion to the skin is enhanced, but visual observation of the needle's presence and dissolution becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransparency and appearanceVSAvoidvisual observation of needle
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies color contrast by using a colored support plate (with brightness of 5.0 or less) to support the transparent needle. This allows the needle to be visually detected through its contrast against the dark background, resolving the contradiction between maintaining needle transparency for aesthetic purposes and enabling visual observation for clinical confirmation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

2Reliability

If the acicular body is made of water-soluble polymer such as chitosan, hydroxypropyl cellulose or collagen, then biocompatibility is improved and the needle can dissolve in the skin, but visual confirmation of dissolution is difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovebiocompatibilityVSAvoidvisual confirmation of dissolution
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The colored support plate serves as a visual feedback mechanism. As the transparent needle dissolves in the skin, the contrast between the needle and the colored background changes, providing visual feedback to the clinician about the dissolution progress. This resolves the contradiction between using biocompatible water-soluble materials and enabling visual confirmation of dissolution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If the brightness of the support plate is reduced to 5.0 or less, then visual observation of the needle is improved, but the overall appearance and comfort may be affected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisual observation of needleVSAvoidoverall appearance
Core Design Contradiction:
Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The support plate is designed with localized color properties only in the regions where needles are positioned, rather than making the entire patch dark. This allows visual observation of needles where needed while maintaining overall aesthetic appearance and skin comfort in non-needle areas, resolving the contradiction between enhanced visibility and overall appearance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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

This design enables easy visual observation of the needle's application and dissolution, ensuring reliable placement and accurate assessment of delivery effectiveness, improving user experience and confirmation of substance delivery.

Implementation Method 1

a light transmission area which is located in an area containing the tip and has a total light transmittance of 20% or more

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight transmission: Light

Implementation Method 2

The acicular body which uses a biocompatible material made of water-soluble polymer such as chitosan, hydroxypropyl cellulose or collagen can dissolve in the skin after it is pierced into the skin

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDissolution: Solvation

Data Source

PatentEP3025754B1Needle-shaped body
Publication Date: 2020.09.30 TOPPAN HOLDINGS INC
  • EP3025754B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2B
  • EP3025754B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B
  • EP3025754B1 patent drawingFigure 4A~4B

AI summary

An acicular body of the present invention includes a support plate having a brightness of 5.0 or less; and a needle disposed on the support plate, the needle including a tip which is formed so as to pierce a skin and a light transmission area which is located in an area containing the tip and has a total light transmittance of 20% or more.