Medicament Cassette Cap Retention During Base-Unit Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medicament delivery devices pose a risk of user injury and contamination due to the potential premature removal of the cap before insertion into the base unit, especially in auto-injectors where the cap prevents the needle cover from being pressed in the distal direction.
Innovation Solution
A cassette design with a connection mechanism that locks the cap to the body using a distal force generated during attachment to the base unit, ensuring the cap cannot be removed prior to full insertion, and allows safe detachment post-attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cap is made removable before insertion into the base unit, then the user can access the medicament delivery member, but the risk of user injury and contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection mechanism is designed to be automatically disconnected by the distal force generated during the insertion process itself, before the user can manually remove the cap. This preliminary automatic disconnection prevents premature cap removal and associated risks, while still allowing cap access after proper insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection mechanism acts as an intermediary between the cap and body, controlled by the distal force from insertion. This intermediary mechanism ensures the cap remains secured during insertion but can be accessed afterward, mediating between safety requirements and user accessibility needs.
2Reliability
If the connection between cap and body is strong, then the cap remains securely attached, but the cap cannot be removed after insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The connection mechanism transitions from a strongly connected state during insertion to a disconnectable state after insertion. The distal force dynamically changes the connection status, making it strong when needed for security and weak when needed for removal, resolving the contradiction between reliable attachment and ease of removal.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a connection mechanism is added to link cap and body, then the cap cannot be prematurely removed, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection mechanism is self-actuating, using the distal force naturally generated during insertion to disconnect itself. No additional actuators, motors, or complex control systems are needed - the insertion process itself provides the energy to trigger the connection disconnection, minimizing added complexity while achieving the safety function.
Data Source
AI summary
A cassette for a medicament delivery device having a base unit is disclosed, where the cassette has a longitudinal axis defining a proximal direction and a distal direction; a body for accommodating a medicament container; a medicament delivery member; and a cap connected to the body through a connector, the cap enclosing a proximal end of the body; wherein the connector is disconnected when a distal force acting on the body in the distal direction and relative to the cap when the cassette is attached to the base unit. A medicament delivery device containing the cassette is also provided.