Medicament Dispenser Multi-Carrier Indexing Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medicament dispensers struggle to efficiently deliver combined doses of multiple active components in a single action, particularly when these components are difficult to formulate together due to chemical interactions, and require separate storage within the device.
Innovation Solution
A medicament dispenser with multiple elongate form carriers, each containing distinct medicament dose portions, which are indexed and released in combination through a dispensing mechanism to form a single, combined dose upon a single patient action, using a mechanism comprising a receiving station, release mechanism, outlet, and indexer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple active components are separately stored in isolated carriers, then chemical interaction between components is prevented, but the device complexity increases due to multiple carriers and indexing mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the medicament storage into multiple separate elongate carriers (first carrier, second carrier, etc.), each containing a different active component in isolated fashion. This segmentation prevents chemical interaction between components while maintaining separate storage integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges multiple separately stored active components into a single combined dose delivered through one common outlet. The release mechanism coordinates simultaneous release from multiple carriers, and the mixing chamber combines the components into a unified aerosol dose for patient administration.
2Reliability
If multiple separate carriers are used to store different active components, then each component can be stored in isolated fashion, but the ease of operation decreases due to multiple indexing actions required
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary indexing of multiple carriers to align their respective dose portions with the release mechanism before actuation. The indexing mechanisms (first indexer, second indexer) pre-position each carrier so that a single subsequent actuation releases all components simultaneously without requiring multiple patient actions.
Solution Approach 2:
The release mechanism acts as an intermediary that coordinates the simultaneous release from multiple carriers. It receives the single patient actuation and translates it into coordinated release actions for all carriers, bridging the gap between simple patient operation and complex multi-carrier release requirements.
3Ease of operation
If a single combined dose is delivered from multiple carriers, then patient convenience is enhanced, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase for coordinating multiple release mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The indexing mechanisms pre-position each carrier's dose portion at a predetermined location aligned with the release mechanism before actuation. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the single actuation occurs, all components are released simultaneously with precise coordination, reducing the tolerance requirements during manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system designs the indexing and release mechanisms so that all carriers operate at equivalent positional states during the release process. Each carrier is indexed to the same reference position and released under equivalent mechanical conditions, simplifying the coordination requirements and reducing manufacturing precision demands.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a medicament dispenser for use with plural elongate form medicament carriers, each having multiple distinct medicament dose portions carried thereby, the dispenser having a dispensing mechanism for dispensing the distinct medicament dose portions carried by each of the plural medicament carriers. The mechanism comprises a receiving station for receiving each of the plural medicament carriers; a release for releasing a distinct medicament dose portion from each of the plural medicament carriers on receipt thereof by the receiving station; an outlet, positioned to be in communication with the distinct medicament dose portions releasable by said a release; and an indexer for individually indexing the distinct medicament dose portions of each of the plural medicament carriers.