Drug Delivery Adaptor Collar With Torque-Release Anti-Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drug delivery devices made of glass are prone to breakage, posing safety risks and complicating the secure connection of connectors, especially when high forces are applied during assembly, leading to potential contamination or uncontrolled drug delivery.
Innovation Solution
An adaptor with a collar that limits translational and rotational movement of the end-piece, featuring anti-rotation means that deactivate at a predetermined torque, allowing safe connection without breaking or cracking, and provides a signal for secure assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If glass material is used for the reservoir and end-piece, then product stability is maintained, but the device becomes prone to breakage and poses safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into two material zones: the reservoir remains glass to maintain product stability, while the end-piece is replaced with a plastic collar that provides mechanical strength and break resistance. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function.
Solution Approach 2:
Different materials are applied to different parts of the device based on local requirements: glass for the reservoir where chemical stability is critical, and plastic for the end-piece where mechanical strength and safety are critical. This local quality approach resolves the contradiction between stability and strength.
2Reliability
If high force is applied during connector assembly, then secure connection is achieved, but the collar may break or crack
Solution Approach 1:
The plastic collar is designed with inherent flexibility and shock-absorbing properties that cushion the impact of assembly forces before they can cause breakage. The material's viscoelastic characteristics allow it to absorb excess force during connector installation, preventing cracks while maintaining connection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar's material properties are optimized to change under load: the plastic material exhibits non-linear stress-strain behavior that allows it to deform elastically under high assembly forces and then return to its original shape, accommodating force variations without breaking.
3Strength
If the collar is made of plastic material, then breakage risks are reduced, but connection security may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The plastic collar incorporates a composite structure with optimized material composition that combines flexibility with sufficient mechanical strength. The specific plastic formulation provides both break resistance and adequate friction/engagement properties to maintain secure connector connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar's geometric design incorporates curved surfaces and optimized thread profiles that increase the contact area and distribution of connection forces, allowing the plastic material to maintain secure connections without concentrating stress at single points that could cause failure.
4Manufacturing precision
If anti-rotation means are included to prevent collar rotation, then assembly precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-rotation function is merged into the basic collar structure rather than being a separate component. The collar's geometry itself provides the anti-rotation mechanism through features like asymmetric thread profiles or engagement surfaces, eliminating the need for additional anti-rotation devices and keeping the overall device simple.
Solution Approach 2:
Anti-rotation features are implemented only at specific locations on the collar where they are needed for assembly precision, while the rest of the collar maintains its simple cylindrical form. This localized approach provides necessary precision without adding overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An adapter for use with a drug delivery device having a reservoir for containing a product, the reservoir having a distally projecting end-piece defining a passageway for the transfer of the product from the reservoir, includes a collar engageable with the end-piece, an adaptor securing member limiting translational movement of the collar with respect to the end-piece once the collar is engaged with the end-piece, at least one adaptor anti-rotation member limiting the rotation of the collar with respect to the end-piece once the collar is engaged with the end-piece, at least one deactivating member neutralizing the adaptor anti-rotation member in response to a turning torque equal or greater than a predetermined value applied to the collar when the collar is engaged with the end-piece, thereby allowing the rotation of the collar with respect to the end-piece.