Disposable Drug Delivery Assembly Sealing Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drug delivery systems, particularly peristaltic pumps, face challenges in providing a hygienic and user-friendly method for coupling disposable cartridges and injectors, leading to potential contamination and misuse, as well as limitations in mobility and flow rate control.
Innovation Solution
A disposable delivery assembly is introduced, comprising a pre-assembled cartridge and injector that are mechanically interconnected in an undeployed configuration, preventing premature fluid transfer and allowing easy handling and replacement, with a self-acting displacement mechanism to ensure coupling only when the device is activated, thus ensuring patient safety and hygiene.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If disposable cartridges and injectors are provided as separate components for replacement, then ease of replacement is improved, but risk of premature coupling and contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge and injector are pre-assembled into a single integrated unit with mechanical interlocking features. This merging ensures that the fluid path remains sealed until the entire assembly is installed in the pump, eliminating the risk of premature coupling and contamination while maintaining ease of replacement as a single unit.
Solution Approach 2:
A sealing mechanism acts as an intermediary between the cartridge and injector, maintaining a closed fluid path during storage and transport. The sealing features prevent fluid leakage and contamination until the assembly is properly installed in the pump, where the sealing is activated to establish the fluid path.
2Device complexity
If cartridges and injectors are coupled before installation in the pump, then assembly simplicity is improved, but fluid transfer control and hygiene are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge and injector are pre-assembled with sealing features in a controlled manufacturing environment, but the fluid path is kept sealed until installation. This preliminary assembly simplifies user operation while the sealing mechanism ensures fluid transfer control is maintained until the proper moment of activation upon pump installation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a sealed fluid path is maintained from cartridge to injection needle, then hygiene and patient safety are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is extracted into dedicated sealing features and mechanisms within the cartridge-injector assembly, such as sealing rings and closed fluid paths. This extraction allows the sealing functionality to be implemented as discrete, manageable components that maintain hygiene without requiring complex overall system redesign.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a disposable delivery assembly for a drug delivery device to dispense a liquid medicament, the delivery assembly comprising:a disposable injector comprising an injection needle, a flexible tube and an injector fluid coupling, wherein the injection needle is in fluid communication with the fluid coupling via the flexible tube,a disposable cartridge comprising a reservoir at least partially filled with the liquid medicament and comprising a cartridge fluid coupling in fluid communication with the reservoir,wherein the injector and the cartridge are mechanically interconnected in an undeployed configuration, in which the injector fluid coupling and the cartridge fluid coupling are disconnected, andwherein the cartridge is displaceable relative to the injector into a deployed configuration, in which the injector fluid coupling and the cartridge fluid coupling are in fluid communication.