Autoinjector Clip Engagement for Sterile On-Demand Reconstitution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autoinjectors face challenges in providing a sterile environment for mixing and dispensing multiple medicament components, leading to potential errors and sterility issues for self-administration by medical amateurs.
Innovation Solution
An autoinjector with a dual chamber component, a body, a spring chassis, and a piston rod, featuring complementary clip components that engage after a predetermined distance to mix and dispense medicaments, along with a security mechanism to prevent premature mixing and dispensing, ensuring a sterile environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If components are stored separately to extend shelf life, then storage time is improved, but the complexity of ensuring sterile mixing environment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device divides the medicament into separate components stored in isolated chambers within the autoinjector. The dual chamber component physically separates the medicament components, allowing extended storage time while maintaining sterility through individual chamber sealing and controlled mixing only at the point of administration.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston rod acts as an intermediary mechanism that bridges the separate chambers. When the piston rod is moved, it carries a bridge component that connects the two chambers, enabling controlled mixing only when needed for administration, thus maintaining sterility while allowing component interaction at the appropriate time.
2Ease of operation
If autoinjectors are designed for self-administration by medical amateurs, then ease of operation is improved, but the risk of errors and sterility breaking increases
Solution Approach 1:
The autoinjector is designed to perform the mixing function automatically when the user activates the device. The piston rod mechanism automatically bridges the chambers and mixes the components without requiring manual intervention, thereby maintaining sterility while keeping the operation simple for self-administration by medical amateurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mixing process is replaced with an automated mechanical mixing system. The piston rod and bridge component automatically connect the chambers and facilitate mixing through mechanical action, eliminating the need for users to manually handle separate components and reducing the risk of sterility breaking.
3Ease of operation
If components are mixed before dispensing, then ease of administration is improved, but the storage time is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The device prepares the medicament components in advance by storing them in separate chambers with extended shelf life. The mixing action is performed as a preliminary step just before administration, not before storage. This allows the components to maintain their stability during storage while being ready for immediate mixing and dispensing when the user activates the autoinjector.
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
Facilitates easy and safe self-administration of medicaments by ensuring mixing occurs only after a predetermined distance, maintaining sterility, and preventing premature mixing or dispensing, thus enhancing storage time and user safety.
Implementation Method 1
a spring chassis (48) configured to be moved with respect to the body (40) during a medicament dispensing process. It can thereby be driven by a spring acting thereon
Data Source
Figure 1a~1g
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
The present invention relates to an autoinjector comprising a dual chamber component, a body, a spring chassis and a piston rod, wherein the piston rod is configured to be moved relative to the body and through the spring chassis, wherein the spring chassis has a first clip component and the piston rod has a second clip component configured complementary to the first clip component, wherein the first and second clip components are configured to engage once the piston rod has travelled a pre-determined distance through the spring chassis. The method further relates to a method of reconstituting a medicament stored in an autoinjector.