Atraumatic Blunt Cannula Tip for Subcutaneous Pellet Insertion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing subcutaneous medicament and implant insertion devices cause trauma, misalignment, and contamination due to sharp tips and manual loading processes, leading to increased healing time, infection risk, and reduced sterility.

Innovation Solution

A device with a blunt, atraumatic cannula tip and obturator featuring inward-curving sections and grooves, along with a retractable lancet and secure loading mechanism, minimizes tissue trauma and ensures precise, sterile insertion of medicated pellets or implants.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a sharp-tipped cannula is used for insertion, then the insertion process is easier to initiate, but it causes tissue trauma and increases healing time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinsertion initiationVSAvoidtissue trauma

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cannula tip is inverted from the conventional sharp point to a blunt, rounded shape. This blunt tip initially requires slightly more force to penetrate the skin but then glides smoothly through subcutaneous tissue without cutting or tearing, significantly reducing tissue trauma and hemorrhage while maintaining ease of insertion once initiated.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The blunt tip design converts the potential harm of difficult penetration into a benefit by creating a clean, controlled displacement of tissue rather than cutting. The rounded tip acts as a wedge that separates tissue fibers without severing them, minimizing damage while still achieving effective insertion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Device complexity

If manual loading of pellets is used, then the device structure can be simpler, but pellet misalignment and extrusion occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveloading mechanismVSAvoidpellet alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Pellets are pre-loaded into the cannula in a controlled manufacturing process where they are precisely positioned and secured. This preliminary action ensures correct alignment before the device reaches the patient, eliminating the need for complex manual loading mechanisms and preventing misalignment during use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A securing mechanism acts as an intermediary between the pellets and the cannula, holding pellets in precise alignment. This intermediary structure prevents pellet extrusion and misalignment while maintaining relatively simple device overall complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If the cannula remains open during insertion, then pellet insertion is easier, but contamination risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepellet insertionVSAvoidcontamination risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The loading well is extracted as a separate, removable component from the main cannula body. This allows the loading well to be opened for pellet insertion while the main cannula remains sealed and sterile. After loading, the well is removed and the cannula aperture is closed, preventing contamination while maintaining ease of pellet insertion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The insertion device is segmented into distinct functional components: a sealed cannula body and a separate openable loading well. This segmentation allows the loading well to be accessed for pellet insertion without compromising the sterility of the main cannula, and the well can then be removed to close the system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Object-affected harmful factors

If a blunt cannula tip is used, then tissue trauma is reduced, but the cannula requires more force to penetrate skin

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetissue traumaVSAvoidpenetration force

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The cannula tip is designed with a specific curved geometry that optimizes the balance between blunt trauma reduction and penetration capability. The rounded contour distributes force over a larger area during initial contact, then focuses it effectively as the tip engages tissue, requiring moderate force while minimizing trauma.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentUS20240082554A1Pellet insertion device

Publication Date: 2024.03.14 SHAPIRO MISHAIL DR

AI summary

An atraumatic insertion device for the subcutaneous delivery of pellet-shaped medicaments and/or implantable devices is described. The device includes a cannula with a distal tip that opens when the pellet-shaped medicaments and/or implantable devices are pushed through using an obturator. The cannula distal tip has at least three cuts, creating sectional leaves that open when pressure is applied distally from within the hollow cannula body. The distal tip of the obturator has complementary grooves to the sectional leaves of the cannula distal tip and will force everything out of the cannula and anything that might be caught on the sectional leaves. A blister packaging strip for storing and dispensing pellet-shaped medicaments and/or implantable devices is used to load the insertion device. The blister packaging strip has features to align the blister cavity directly above the loading well of the device and safely transfer the pellet-shaped medicaments and/or implantable devices into the cannula.