Audible Plunger Indicator for Full-Dose Drug Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing injection devices, both manual and autoinjectors, face challenges such as the need for precise dexterity, potential premature release of the plunger, and difficulty in ensuring the full dose is administered, especially for elderly or children, and lack of feedback indicating dose completion.
Innovation Solution
A drug delivery device with an audible indicator comprising a resilient element that deflects during plunger movement, generating an audible and tactile signal when the full dose is delivered, ensuring complete administration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If manual force is used to drive the plunger during injection, then the device structure can be simple, but the user requires high dexterity and the injection may stop if the plunger is released prematurely
Solution Approach 1:
The injection device is designed to be self-operating through a spring mechanism that automatically drives the plunger forward after activation. The user simply needs to activate the device, and the spring automatically provides the driving force for plunger movement, eliminating the need for continuous manual pressure and making the device suitable for elderly or children who lack manual dexterity.
2Ease of operation
If a spring mechanism is used to provide injection force in autoinjectors, then ease of operation is improved, but the user lacks feedback indicating whether the full dose was administered
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates an audible indicator mechanism that provides acoustic feedback to the user. This indicator includes a resilient element that deflects during plunger movement and generates an audible signal when the plunger reaches its distal position, confirming that the full dose has been administered. This feedback mechanism eliminates the information loss about dose completion.
3Strength
If the resilient element remains in a relaxed state until end of drug delivery, then mechanical stress during storage and delivery is reduced, but the indicator mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient element is segmented into two functional sections: a proximal spring section that remains relaxed during storage and drug delivery to minimize mechanical stress, and a distal spring section that acts as the indicator element. This segmentation allows the indicator function to be separated from the load-bearing function, enabling the indicator mechanism to operate with minimal complexity while the main spring remains unstressed.
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
The audible indicator provides reliable feedback to users, ensuring the full dose is administered, reducing mechanical stress on the resilient element, and enhancing user confidence in the delivery process.
Implementation Method 1
an audible indicator that comprises a resilient element, wherein the resilient element is in a first configuration when the plunger is in the proximal position, wherein the resilient element is deflected radially outwards to a second configuration during movement of the plunger from the proximal position towards the distal position, and wherein the resilient element moves towards the second configuration towards the first configuration when the plunger moves towards or reaches the distal position, thereby generating an audible and tactile signal
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a drug delivery device including a plunger disposed within a case and an audible indicator that comprises a resilient element. The plunger is slidable from a proximal position to a distal position within the case and the resilient element is in a first configuration when the plunger is in the proximal position, such that the resilient element is deflected radially outwards to a second configuration during movement of the plunger from the proximal position towards the distal position. The resilient element moves from the second configuration towards the first configuration when the plunger moves towards or reaches the distal position, thereby generating an audible and tactile signal.