Compact Drug Pump with Integrated Piercing Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current portable infusion pumps face challenges in quick and safe refilling, especially for elderly individuals or those with joint difficulties, due to complex filling operations and potential drug leakage from inaccurate piercing element insertion, which can cause radial tearing of the reservoir membrane.
Innovation Solution
A compact, portable drug infusion pump design featuring a motorized electromechanical actuator with a bayonet-type connecting joint and an integrated piercing element, allowing for simple and safe refilling with a pre-filled disposable reservoir, which eliminates the need for separate piercing element insertion and reduces the risk of drug leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a separate piercing element is used to penetrate the reservoir membrane, then the reservoir can be filled and connected to the pump, but the operation becomes complex and time-consuming, especially for elderly individuals or those with joint difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The piercing element is integrated into the pump housing structure, merging two separate components (pump and piercing element) into one unified device. This eliminates the need for separate insertion operations and simplifies the refilling process for users.
Solution Approach 2:
The piercing element is pre-positioned and pre-aligned within the pump housing before the reservoir is inserted. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the reservoir is placed into the pump, the piercing element automatically penetrates the membrane at the correct location and angle, eliminating the need for manual alignment operations.
2Reliability
If manual insertion of a separate piercing element is performed, then the reservoir can be connected, but the insertion may be inaccurate causing radial tearing of the membrane and drug leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The pump housing acts as an intermediary structure that guides and constrains the piercing element. This intermediary mechanism ensures that the piercing element follows a predetermined safe path and maintains the correct angle of insertion, preventing radial tearing of the membrane while still allowing users to easily perform the refilling operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump housing incorporates a specifically designed local structure (guiding features, constrained pathways) that provides precise geometric control only at the piercing location. This localized quality enhancement ensures accurate insertion geometry without requiring the entire device to be complex.
3Productivity
If multiple separate components (reservoir, lid, piercing element) are used, then the pump can be filled, but the number of assembly operations increases and the process takes longer
Solution Approach 1:
The pump housing merges multiple functions into a single component: it serves as the container housing, the mounting structure for the piercing element, and the guiding mechanism for insertion. This consolidation reduces the number of separate components from three (housing, lid, piercing element) to two (housing with integrated piercing element, reservoir), thereby reducing assembly operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump housing is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides structural containment, piercing element support, insertion guidance, and sealing functions. This universality allows a single component to perform multiple roles that would traditionally require separate parts, simplifying the overall assembly process.
Data Source
AI summary
A safety quick-refill compact pump for administering drugs is provided. The pump includes a motor-driven electromechanical actuator, a cylindrical container, and a hollow piercing element. The actuator causes bi-directional axial sliding of a rod that carries a pusher adapted to cause axial sliding of a plunger of the container which contains a liquid drug and is equipped, at an end thereof, with a pierceable membrane. The actuator is provided with a first connecting portion of a male-female connecting joint at least partially surrounding the rod. The container is provided with a second connecting portion of the male-female connecting joint and is firmly associated with the actuator and defines a cylindrical chamber axially extending about the sliding axis of the rod. The piercing element is oriented toward the inside of the chamber and defines a duct so that the piercing element is in fluid communication with the inside of the reservoir.