Dose-Setting Mechanism With Remaining-Medication Limit Stop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-administered injection devices fail to prevent the set dose from exceeding the remaining medication in the bottle, leading to safety hazards due to users unknowingly rotating the adjusting member despite insufficient medication.
Innovation Solution
A drug delivery device with a driving mechanism featuring a first and second memory, limiting structures, and a transmission mechanism that prevents further dose adjustment when the second memory reaches its end position, indicating insufficient medication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the adjusting member is allowed to rotate freely to adjust dose, then ease of operation is improved, but safety deteriorates because users cannot detect when remaining medication is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by making the second memory component movable relative to the first memory component. As the adjusting member rotates to increase dose, the second memory moves axially. When remaining medication becomes insufficient, the second memory reaches a limit position where it can no longer move, providing tactile feedback to the user that the maximum available dose has been reached. This feedback loop prevents overdosing while maintaining ease of rotation-based adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs self-service by automatically tracking the amount of medication delivered through the movable second memory component. The system monitors its own state without requiring external input, and the limiting mechanism automatically engages when the pre-stored maximum dose is reached, preventing further adjustment without needing external monitoring or calculation.
2Reliability
If a limiting mechanism is added to prevent dose exceeding, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the dose adjustment interface with the safety limiting function by integrating the second memory component into the adjusting member assembly. The movable second memory serves dual purposes: it displays/indicates the set dose to the user while simultaneously acting as the limiting mechanism through its axial movement constraints. This combination eliminates the need for separate limiting structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The second memory component performs multiple functions: it stores the maximum available dose information, provides visual/tactile indication of the current set dose, and acts as the mechanical limiting element. This multi-functionality reduces the overall number of components needed for safety mechanisms while maintaining comprehensive dose control.
Data Source
AI summary
This application provides a drug delivery device. The drug delivery device comprises a housing, a driving mechanism, a first limiting structure, an injection mechanism and a transmission mechanism. The driving mechanism comprises a adjusting member, a first memory and a second memory. When the driving mechanism is in the adjusting state, the adjusting member drives the second memory to move between the initial position and the end position. When the driving mechanism is in the delivery state, the adjusting member, the first memory and the second memory are relatively static. One of the first limit member and the second limit member of the first limiting structure is arranged on the first memory, and the other of the first limit member and the second limit member is arranged on the second memory. The first limit member and the second limit member are cooperated to limit the movement of the second memory relative to the first memory when the second memory arrives at the end position. The delivery device can resolve the problem in the related art that it is difficult to prevent a set dose from exceeding the remaining dose in the medicine bottle.