Medicament Delivery Container Holder Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medicament delivery devices require complex mechanisms where the needle shroud and syringe carrier must move jointly, complicating the activation process and necessitating separate means to prevent movement during transport and handling while ensuring proper activation.
Innovation Solution
A container holder assembly where a spring-biased needle guard is coaxially arranged with the container holder, allowing it to move between extended and retracted positions, disconnecting from the holder upon retraction to prevent initial movement and reconnecting upon extension, thereby preventing the container holder from moving until activation, using a first connecting member radially biasing a second connecting member into engagement with the housing to lock the holder in place.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the needle shroud and syringe carrier are coupled together to move jointly, then the activation sequence can be controlled, but the device complexity increases and requires separate means to prevent movement during transport
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the movement prevention function and activation control function into a single integrated mechanism. The needle guard serves dual purposes: it prevents the container holder from moving during transport by engaging with the housing, and it controls the activation sequence by disconnecting from the container holder upon retraction to allow movement. This eliminates the need for separate coupling mechanisms between the needle shroud and syringe carrier, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining activation control.
2Reliability
If separate means are introduced to prevent movement during transport, then safety is improved, but the device complexity increases and may interfere with normal functions
Solution Approach 1:
The needle guard is designed as a multi-functional component that performs both movement prevention and activation control. During transport, the extended needle guard engages with the housing to prevent the container holder from moving. During activation, when the needle guard is retracted, it disconnects from the container holder to allow movement for injection. This universal design eliminates the need for separate safety mechanisms, reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Reliability
If the needle guard is extended to prevent movement, then safety during transport is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to additional retraction step required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the safety function and activation function into a single operational sequence. The user performs one action - retracting the needle guard - which simultaneously achieves two objectives: it disengages the movement prevention mechanism (allowing the container holder to move for injection) and initiates the activation sequence. This integrated design improves ease of operation by eliminating the need for separate actions while maintaining transport safety through the extended position during storage.
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
Simplifies the activation process by allowing the needle guard to control the container holder's movement, ensuring it remains locked until activation, and then allowing it to move freely for medicament delivery, enhancing safety and usability by decoupling the movement prevention and activation mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
a spring-biased needle guard, coaxial with the container holder and releasably connected with the container holder
Data Source
AI summary
Container holder assembly for a medicament delivery device comprising a housing part 22, a container holder 50, and a spring-biased needle guard 82, wherein the needle guard 82 is configured to disconnect from the container holder 50 upon movement from the extended position to the retracted position.