Medicament Delivery Cap Integrity Lock Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medicament delivery devices face the risk of accidental activation during transportation or handling due to unintended movements, and there is a lack of a robust mechanism to prevent recapping, which compromises the sterility of the medicament delivery member.
Innovation Solution
A medicament delivery device with a removable cap assembly featuring an integrity lock mechanism that prevents accidental activation and provides a tamper-proof indication when the device has been used, comprising a tubular cap body, inner tubular integrity lock member, and activation member, which ensures the medicament delivery member remains sterile until intentionally activated.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a removable cap assembly is used to protect the medicament delivery member, then the sterility and protection are improved, but the risk of accidental activation during transportation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring the cap assembly with an integrity lock mechanism that is engaged by default. This lock mechanism is designed to be released only through a specific intentional user action (removing the cap), which prevents accidental activation during transportation while maintaining sterility protection. The lock is preliminarily set in a locked state that blocks activation mechanisms until the cap is deliberately removed.
2Ease of operation
If the cap assembly allows easy removal for activation, then the ease of operation is improved, but the risk of recapping after use increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inversion by designing the cap assembly so that the normal removal action (for activation) triggers a permanent state change. When the cap is removed, the integrity lock transitions to a state that physically prevents re-engagement of the cap. This inverts the conventional approach where caps can typically be removed and reattached; instead, the first removal action permanently disables recapping, ensuring reliability after the device has been activated.
3Reliability
If a mechanical interlock is added to prevent accidental activation, then the safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by integrating the integrity lock mechanism directly into the cap assembly structure itself, rather than adding a separate independent locking system. The lock mechanism combines the cap retention function with the activation prevention function into a single integrated component. This merging approach provides accidental activation prevention while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity, as the lock is part of the cap assembly that must be removed anyway for activation.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a medicament delivery device comprising: a housing having a proximal and distal end; a medicament container positioned in the housing and having a medicament delivery member shield; a medicament delivery mechanism associated with the medicament container; an activation member operably connected to the medicament delivery mechanism and longitudinally movable in relation to the housing from an extended position to a retracted position to activate the medicament delivery mechanism; and a removable cap assembly comprising an outer tubular cap body and an inner tubular integrity lock member coaxially coupled to the outer tubular cap body; wherein in a first position of the removable cap assembly, a resilient structure of the inner tubular integrity lock member is engaged to a first engaging structure of the activation member and a second engaging structure of the housing for preventing the activation member from moving into the retracted position.