Cryogenic Dispenser Safety Mechanism for Dermatological Treatments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cryogenic dispensers for dermatological treatments lack a safety system to prevent accidental dispensing of cryogenic substances, which can cause burns or lesions if not properly controlled, and they often require complex components and assembly, increasing production and assembly costs.
Innovation Solution
A dispenser with a safety system that includes a coupling element and an activating element with a blocking portion and passage seating, allowing for precise control of cryogenic substance dispensing, featuring a normally closed valve that opens only upon activation, and an applicator for targeted treatment, ensuring safe and controlled dispensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a safety system is added to prevent accidental dispensing, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the safety function with the existing valve and activator mechanisms by integrating a blocking portion into the activator that interacts with a corresponding blocking feature in the valve assembly. This merging approach allows the safety function to be achieved without adding entirely separate safety components, thereby improving safety while limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety system is designed to prevent dispensing before activation occurs through the predetermined interaction between the blocking portion and blocking feature. The valve remains in a closed position by default, and dispensing can only occur after the specific activation sequence is completed, ensuring safety through preliminary preventive action.
2Reliability
If a normally closed valve with blocking mechanism is used, then safety is improved, but ease of operation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The activator is designed to automatically engage the blocking portion with the blocking feature in the valve assembly when pressed, causing the valve to open without requiring additional user actions. The system serves itself by using the activation force to simultaneously overcome the blocking mechanism and open the valve, maintaining ease of operation despite the safety features.
3Ease of manufacture
If a simpler structure is used, then production and assembly costs are reduced, but safety control capability is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The safety control capability is achieved by merging the blocking portion into the existing activator structure and the blocking feature into the valve assembly, rather than adding separate safety components. This integration allows the patent to maintain simpler structure and reduce production and assembly costs while still achieving improved safety control capability through the interactive blocking mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for dispensing cryogenic substances including: predisposing a pressurized container for a cryogenic substance which includes a valve active at the opening and regulating an emission of the cryogenic substance, predisposing a coupling element stably constrained to the container, predisposing an activating element engaged to the coupling element in such a way that it is interposed between the container and the activating element. There may be: a dispensing step in which the activating element is pressed nearingly to the container to bring the valve of the container into a passage condition to enable exit of the cryogenic substance, a safety step in which the activating element is stably blocked to the coupling element, an intermediate step in which the activating element is mobile relatively by rotation with respect to the blocking element to allow passage from the dispensing step to the safety step and vice versa, an unblocking step including elastic deformation of a part of the activating element which enables passage between the safety step and the intermediate step.