Integrated Basal Engine Pump for Compact Basal-Bolus Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wearable fluid delivery devices for medicaments, particularly for type II diabetes, are complex, expensive, and difficult to make compact and efficient, often requiring separate drive systems for basal and bolus supplies, which increases device size and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A fluid delivery device utilizing a basal engine mechanism that integrates a sliding seal piston and a bolus mechanism, actuated by a hydraulic or electrochemical source, allowing for compact, single-use, disposable pumps with controlled basal and bolus delivery, using springs, compressed gases, or electrochemical devices for energy storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate drive systems are used for basal and bolus supplies, then functional capability is improved, but device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the basal and bolus drive systems into a single integrated pump mechanism. The basal engine serves dual purposes by providing both continuous basal delivery and bolus delivery when actuated, eliminating the need for separate drive systems while maintaining full functional capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The basal engine is designed as a multi-functional component that can operate in different modes: continuous operation for basal delivery and intermittent operation for bolus delivery. This universal design allows a single mechanism to perform multiple functions that previously required separate specialized systems.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate drive systems are used for basal and bolus supplies, then functional capability is improved, but device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the basal and bolus drive systems into a single pump mechanism, the overall device volume is reduced. The integrated design eliminates redundant components and allows for more compact arrangement of internal elements, directly addressing the size increase problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a nested configuration where the bolus delivery mechanism is integrated within the basal engine structure. The single-use pump housing contains both functional elements in a compact, space-efficient arrangement, allowing one system to be nested within another to minimize total device size.
3Measurement precision
If complex electronic pumps are used, then delivery control is improved, but cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex electronic control systems with a mechanical pump mechanism that uses hydraulic principles and elastic energy storage. The basal engine utilizes a spring-loaded piston and hydraulic fluid to provide precise delivery control through purely mechanical means, eliminating the need for electronic components while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical pump system is designed to be self-regulating through its hydraulic and elastic components. The spring mechanism automatically provides the necessary force and the hydraulic fluid naturally regulates flow, eliminating the need for external electronic control systems and reducing overall device complexity.
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
Enables cost-effective, compact, and efficient delivery of medicaments, including insulin and other therapeutic agents, with controlled basal and bolus administration, suitable for both human and veterinary medicine, and applicable to clinical and biomedical research applications.
Implementation Method 1
the basal engine includes a reservoir containing a hydraulic fluid under pressure from a stored energy source
Implementation Method 2
the viscosity of the hydraulic fluid and the geometry of the aperture
Implementation Method 3
the stored energy source includes one or more springs
Implementation Method 4
the stored energy source includes a compressed gas
Implementation Method 5
the basal engine mechanism is an electrochemical device that expands in at least one dimension while being charged or discharged
Implementation Method 6
the sliding seal piston is in contact with the basal engine mechanism and the medicament
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid delivery device comprises a fluid reservoir for containing medicament. The fluid reservoir is sealed proximate one end with a sliding seal piston. A delivery path is configured to fluidly couple the fluid reservoir and a patient wearing the fluid delivery device. A basal engine mechanism is configured to directly or indirectly move the sliding seal piston in the fluid reservoir at a controlled basal rate. A bolus mechanism configured to move the basal engine relative to the fluid reservoir and directly or indirectly move the sliding seal piston in the fluid reservoir a discrete bolus amount at a time.