Dose Dividing Delivery Device With Ratcheted Plunger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional syringes lack precision and accuracy in dividing doses for multiple intradermal injections, relying on visual feedback and complex devices, which are costly and not compatible with reconstitution practices.
Innovation Solution
A drug delivery device with a radially moving collar and ratcheted plunger system, providing tactile feedback through cantilevered beams and followers to divide doses into discrete units, allowing for precise multiple injections without visual reliance or complex mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a conventional syringe is used for multiple dose injections, then the device is simple and low cost, but the precision and accuracy of dose division is poor due to reliance on visual feedback
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements tactile feedback through a ratcheted plunger mechanism with detents that engage with a collar. As the plunger is depressed, the practitioner feels distinct tactile stops corresponding to discrete dosage intervals, providing immediate sensory feedback without visual reliance. This resolves the contradiction by enabling precise dose division through tactile cues while maintaining a relatively simple mechanical structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger is divided into segmented units with spaced detents along its length, each detent corresponding to a discrete dosage interval. The collar with cantilevered beams segments the continuous plunger movement into discrete, measurable steps. This segmentation allows precise dose division while keeping the overall device structure simple and manageable.
2Reliability
If manual dose division is performed with a conventional syringe, then the device remains simple, but the accuracy and repeatability of multiple doses is difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The ratcheted mechanism provides tactile feedback through distinct stops and detents that guide the practitioner through precise dose divisions. Each tactile stop confirms accurate positioning at predetermined dosage intervals, ensuring reliable and repeatable dose delivery without requiring complex manual measurement techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs self-guided dose division through its mechanical ratcheted structure. The spaced detents and tactile stops automatically guide the practitioner through the correct dosage intervals without requiring external measurement tools or complex manual calculation, improving both reliability and ease of operation.
3Productivity
If medication pens are used to produce multiple injections, then automated multiple dosing is achieved, but the device becomes complicated with many parts and high cost
Solution Approach 1:
The syringe is designed to perform multiple functions: it can be filled conventionally from a vial, then converted into a multi-dose delivery device through the addition of the collar and ratcheted plunger mechanism. This single device handles both filling and multiple precise injections, eliminating the need for separate complex automated pen systems while maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device uses a modular collar with cantilevered beams that can be attached to a standard syringe barrel. This segmented approach allows the multi-dose functionality to be added to a simple, low-cost syringe base, avoiding the need for completely complex automated pen systems while still enabling multiple precise injections.
4Measurement precision
If visual feedback from syringe scale is used for dose division, then no additional mechanisms are needed, but the precision and accuracy of discrete dosage delivery is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces visual feedback with tactile feedback through the ratcheted plunger mechanism. The spaced detents create distinct tactile stops that the practitioner feels when depressing the plunger, providing immediate sensory confirmation of discrete dosage intervals. This tactile feedback system dramatically improves discrete dosage accuracy by eliminating the imprecision of visual scale reading.
Data Source
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AI summary
A simple method and device enabling a unit dose from a reservoir is provided. The dose is drawn into the reservoir and is then expelled from the device by depressing the plunger. The plunger (30) has features which divide the dose into discrete intervals. As the plunger is moved during delivery, features on the plunger and features connected to the barrel interact to provide for intermittent stops to the injection process. Other aspects of the device provide-for reduced dead space, safety and selective interconnection with other devices. Thus, the delivery device divides the dose.