Autoinjector Alignment Accessory for Stable Skin Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autoinjector users face challenges in maintaining the desired force and orientation during injections, and observing the injection process, which can lead to incomplete dosages and discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A drug delivery device assembly with an alignment accessory that includes an accessory body and an alignment aid, featuring a wide contact surface and alignment sensors/indicators to ensure proper alignment and orientation of the injector with the skin, facilitating a more predictable and comfortable injection experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a drug delivery device is designed to be compact and portable, then ease of operation and portability are improved, but the device complexity increases due to integration of multiple functions in limited space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions (drug storage, heating, mixing, and delivery) into a single integrated device. The heating element is integrated within the drug reservoir, and the mixing mechanism is incorporated into the delivery system, allowing the device to maintain compact size while performing multiple functions sequentially.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is divided into distinct functional modules: a heating element section, a drug reservoir section, a mixing chamber, and a delivery mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall device compactness and ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If heating is applied to viscous drugs to reduce viscosity, then ease of operation is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is activated before drug delivery to pre-heat the viscous drug, reducing its viscosity in advance. This preliminary heating action ensures that the drug flows more easily during delivery, reducing the energy required during the actual injection process.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating element maintains a continuous low-level heat application during the drug delivery process, ensuring the drug remains at an optimal temperature and viscosity throughout the injection, rather than requiring high intermittent heating bursts.
3Measurement precision
If air bubbles are present in viscous drugs, then measurement precision deteriorates, but removing air bubbles increases processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The device performs preliminary degassing of the viscous drug before delivery by applying heat and vacuum or pressure differential to remove air bubbles in advance. This ensures accurate drug volume measurement and delivery without requiring extended processing time during actual administration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual or mechanical air bubble removal methods with a thermal field approach, using controlled heating to reduce drug viscosity and facilitate air bubble rise and removal, thereby achieving degassing more efficiently.
4Manufacturing precision
If conventional syringes are used for viscous drugs, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but ease of operation deteriorates due to clogging and incomplete delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the drug delivery system by incorporating heating elements that alter the temperature and viscosity parameters of the drug in real-time. This allows conventional syringe structures to deliver viscous drugs effectively by dynamically adjusting drug properties during delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating element acts as an intermediary between the viscous drug and the syringe delivery system, modifying the drug's physical state to ensure smooth flow through the syringe needle without clogging, while maintaining the simplicity of conventional syringe construction.
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 alignment accessory helps users maintain the correct force and orientation, reducing the likelihood of incomplete dosages and discomfort by providing visual and tactile feedback for proper alignment, ensuring a more reliable and consistent injection process.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element positioned within the reservoir and configured to heat the viscous drug within the reservoir
Implementation Method 2
a mixing mechanism positioned within the reservoir and configured to mix the viscous drug with a liquid carrier substance to form a mixed product
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A drug delivery device assembly is provided, including an injector housing, a needle assembly, a drive assembly, and an alignment accessory. The injector housing may include a body with a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the proximal end and the distal end. The needle assembly is at least partially disposed within the body and may include a syringe barrel containing a medicament and a needle or a cannula. The drive assembly is at least partially disposed within the body and operably coupled with the needle assembly to urge the medicament through the needle or cannula during an injection sequence. The needle or cannula is configured to pierce a patient's skin at an injection site. The alignment accessory includes an accessory body configured to be selectively coupled with the injector housing and an alignment aid configured to aid alignment of the accessory body with respect to the patient's skin at the injection site.