Capacitance Skin Contact Detection in Disposable Drug Delivery Patches
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional subcutaneous drug delivery patch devices are often bulky, complex, and difficult to sterilize, leading to reliability and safety concerns, as well as high manufacturing costs, and they lack ease of use and long shelf life.
Innovation Solution
A compact, disposable drug delivery device with an on-body sensing system using capacitance measurement to ensure skin contact, a pneumatic pumping system for reliable drug delivery, and a sterilization method that maintains sterility, incorporating a drug container with a plunger and a pressurized gas source for efficient liquid administration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional patch pump drug delivery devices use complex pump mechanisms to ensure reliable drug delivery, then delivery reliability is improved, but device size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a pneumatic pumping system where a gas source (such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide) is used to drive the plunger and deliver the liquid drug through the needle. This pneumatic mechanism replaces complex mechanical pump assemblies, achieving reliable drug delivery with simpler device architecture and reduced overall device size.
2Reliability
If disposable components are designed with multiple parts to ensure safety and functionality, then device reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functional components into a single integrated disposable unit that combines the drug container, pneumatic pumping system, needle, and control electronics. This merging reduces the total number of separate parts, simplifies manufacturing processes, and lowers assembly costs while maintaining safety through unified design and testing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs a fully disposable unit that is manufactured at low cost through streamlined processes and single-use configuration. By accepting the disposable nature of the entire unit, the design eliminates the need for expensive sterilization and reuse protocols, reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining reliability through quality control in the disposable component.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If patch devices are designed for long shelf life, then storage duration is improved, but sterilization difficulty and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable design where the entire unit is manufactured sterile through aseptic processing techniques and single-use configuration. This eliminates the need for complex sterilization protocols and equipment, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while ensuring long shelf life through sterile barrier integrity and quality-controlled packaging.
4Ease of operation
If the device is made compact to improve ease of use, then device size is reduced, but structural complexity may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes a nested configuration where the needle is stored within the housing, the pneumatic components are integrated within the disposable unit, and the control electronics are compactly arranged. This nesting approach achieves a compact form factor that is easy to apply and use while managing structural complexity through hierarchical organization of components.
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
The solution provides a safe, reliable, and compact drug delivery system that ensures proper skin contact, maintains sterility, and extends shelf life while reducing manufacturing costs, ensuring easy and efficient administration of liquid drugs.
Implementation Method 1
an electrode connected to an electronic control system of the control unit for measuring a capacitance value configured to detect whether the drug delivery device is positioned against a patient's skin
Implementation Method 2
a pressurized gas source configured to supply pressurized gas in the container receiving cavity thus applying pressure on a back end of the plunger for delivery of the liquid drug
Data Source
AI summary
A drug delivery device (1) comprising a housing (2), a delivery unit (3) including a drug container (6), and a control unit (4) mounted within the housing (2), the control unit comprising an on-body sensing system (5) including an electrode (56) connected to an electronic control system (47) of the control unit for measuring a capacitance value configured to detect whether the drug delivery device is positioned against a patient's skin, a skin contact wall (81) of the housing (2) having an inner side facing an inside of the housing in which the delivery unit and control unit are mounted, and an outer mounting side facing the outside of the housing and intended to be placed against the skin of a patient. The electrode (56) comprises a layer of metal mounted directly against the inner side of the skin contact wall.