Auto-injector Needle Retraction Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional auto-injectors require multiple user interactions for self-administration of drugs, leading to increased complexity, user errors, and discomfort, and often necessitate prolonged device attachment to the user.
Innovation Solution
A simplified auto-injector design that automatically conceals the needle after use, eliminating the need for separate needle deployment and retraction actions and allowing for quick removal without additional user interaction, featuring a mechanism that initiates a lockout upon premature removal to prevent reactivation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate user actions are required for inserting and removing the needle, then needle safety and user control are improved, but device complexity and user error potential increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines needle insertion and removal operations into a single automated sequence. The spring-loaded mechanism automatically retracts the needle after injection, eliminating the need for separate user actions for both insertion and removal, thus reducing operational complexity while maintaining safety through automated control
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs self-service by automatically retracting the needle after the injection is complete. The spring mechanism activates automatically to return the needle to its retracted position without requiring additional user intervention, reducing the potential for user error while maintaining needle safety
2Reliability
If the device is secured to the user for extended periods, then injection completion is ensured, but user comfort and convenience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic injection mechanism that adapts to user movement. The spring-loaded needle assembly can accommodate slight movements while maintaining injection integrity, and the automatic retraction feature allows for quick removal when the injection is complete, balancing injection reliability with user comfort
Solution Approach 2:
The device rushes through the injection process efficiently by using spring-loaded mechanisms that quickly deploy and retract the needle. This rapid operation minimizes the time the device needs to be secured to the user, thereby improving user comfort while ensuring injection completion
3Ease of operation
If automatic needle retraction is implemented, then user comfort and safety are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable auto-injector design where the entire device, including the spring-loaded retraction mechanism, is discarded after single use. This approach justifies the inclusion of automatic retraction mechanisms by eliminating the need for complex reusable components that would require maintenance and sterilization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex electronic or motorized retraction systems with a simple spring-loaded mechanical mechanism. This substitution reduces overall device complexity while achieving automatic needle retraction, as the spring mechanism requires no power source, control electronics, or complex programming
Data Source
AI summary
In one instance, disclosed herein is an auto-injector, the auto-injector including: a housing; a container disposed within the housing, the container configured to store a medicament; a canister disposed within the housing, the canister configured to release a pressurized medium to expel the medicament from the container; a shroud coupled to the housing, the shroud configured to move between a first position and a second position relative to the housing to cause the pressurized medium to be released by the canister; and a mandrel assembly disposed within the housing, the mandrel assembly configured to urge the shroud outward relative to the housing toward the first position after the pressurized medium is released by the canister.