Collapsible Drug Container for Disposable Injection Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pre-filled glass syringes are costly due to manufacturing and filling processes, and they can be refilled and reused, posing a risk for disease transmission.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible pre-filled drug delivery device with a drug container that twists to empty its contents, preventing reuse by collapsing irreversibly, featuring a main body with internal threads, a screw with external threads, and a plunger that initiates the twisting motion, ensuring the device is disposable and safe from re-use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional pre-filled glass syringes are used, then the drug can be delivered, but the cost of manufacturing and filling is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable plastic syringe design that is intended for single-use only. The syringe is manufactured at lower cost compared to glass syringes and is discarded after one use, eliminating the need for expensive sterilization and refilling processes. The plastic construction allows for cost-effective manufacturing while maintaining adequate drug delivery functionality for the intended single application.
Solution Approach 2:
The syringe is designed as an integrated unit with distinct functional segments (barrel, plunger, needle assembly) that are manufactured separately and then assembled. This segmentation allows for optimized manufacturing of each component using appropriate processes (injection molding for plastic parts) and enables quality control at each assembly stage, reducing overall manufacturing cost while ensuring reliability.
2Reliability
If conventional syringes are used, then they can be refilled and reused, but this promotes transmission of blood-borne diseases
Solution Approach 1:
The syringe is designed as a single-use disposable device with no mechanism for refilling or reuse. The plastic construction and integrated design make it economically viable to manufacture at low cost, allowing the healthcare system to afford single-use devices without the safety risks associated with refilling and reusing syringes. This eliminates the transmission risk of blood-borne diseases entirely.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle assembly is designed to be detached and discarded with the syringe after use, or the entire syringe is disposed of as a complete unit. This extraction of the needle component or the entire device prevents any possibility of refilling, ensuring that the syringe cannot be reused and thereby eliminating the safety hazard of disease transmission through contaminated syringes.
3Reliability
If glass containers are used, then the drug can be stored, but the filling process is complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The syringe barrel is manufactured as a pre-assembled unit with the plunger already in place, eliminating the need for separate filling operations. The plastic material allows for integration of the drug filling process during manufacturing through techniques like injection molding or pre-filling in controlled environments, then sealing the unit. This reduces the complexity of the filling process compared to glass containers that require separate handling, unpacking, and filling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The syringe components (barrel, plunger, seal) are combined into a pre-assembled unit that is manufactured and sealed together in a controlled environment before distribution. This merging of components eliminates the need for complex assembly and filling operations at the point of use, reducing both device complexity and manufacturing cost while maintaining drug storage integrity.
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 device reduces costs by eliminating the need for refilling and re-use, while ensuring safety by preventing the transmission of blood-borne diseases through irreversible collapse of the drug container.
Implementation Method 1
a screw situated within the main body, comprising a hollow cylinder comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein said outer surface comprises threads, wherein the threads of the outer surface of the screw are engaged with the threads of the inner surface of the main body
Implementation Method 2
a drug container extending between distal and proximal ends, and comprises a change in cross section from proximal end to distal end, wherein the drug container is located within the screw
Data Source
AI summary
A drug delivery device comprising a main body extending between distal and proximal ends comprising a hollow cylinder comprising an outer and an inner surface, wherein the inner surface comprises threads; a screw within the main body, comprising a hollow cylinder comprising an inner and an outer surface, wherein said outer surface comprises threads, wherein threads of outer surface of the screw are engaged with threads of inner surface of the main body; a plunger extending between distal and proximal ends, wherein the distal end of the plunger engages the proximal end of the screw; and a drug container extending between distal and proximal ends, and comprising a change in cross section from proximal to distal end, wherein the container is within the screw, and wherein the proximal end of the drug container is fixed to the screw and distal end of the container is fixed to the main body.