Drug Delivery Device Vial Compression and Segmented Fluid Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current drug delivery systems for patients with chronic kidney failure, particularly those receiving erythropoietin and iron therapy, face challenges in efficiently and accurately delivering medications to prevent anemia, as existing systems often result in drug wastage and potential mixing of incompatible drugs.
Innovation Solution
A drug delivery device with a vial holder mechanism that compresses drug vials to pierce the seal using a spike, ensuring full evacuation of the vial contents and preventing drug mixing by using a separate delivery line for each medication, with a control unit managing the delivery to ensure precise dosing and minimize waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a drug vial is pierced with a spike to deliver medication, then drug delivery is enabled, but the seal may not be fully compressed causing incomplete evacuation and drug wastage
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary compression of the drug vial seal before piercing with the spike. The compression mechanism pre-compresses the seal between the cap and body of the vial, ensuring that when the spike pierces the seal, the drug is fully evacuated without leaving residual medication in the vial, thereby eliminating drug wastage.
2Device complexity
If multiple drugs are delivered using a shared fluid line, then device complexity is reduced, but incompatible drugs may mix causing adverse reactions
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the fluid delivery system by providing a separate fluid line for each drug vial. Each drug vial is connected to the delivery system through its own dedicated fluid line, preventing any possibility of incompatible drugs mixing while maintaining relatively simple device architecture through modular design.
3Device complexity
If manual drug delivery is used, then device complexity is minimized, but dosing precision and accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs an automated control unit that self-manages the drug delivery process. The control unit automatically controls the compression mechanism and spike insertion, precisely regulating the amount of drug delivered from each vial without requiring manual intervention, thereby achieving high dosing accuracy while minimizing operational complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system ensures complete drug delivery, reduces waste, and prevents adverse reactions from drug mixing, providing accurate and efficient administration of medications like erythropoietin and iron sucrose, optimizing the use of expensive drugs and ensuring patient safety.
Implementation Method 1
the drug vial is compressed between the upper and lower members
Data Source
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AI summary
Drug delivery device (703) with a pump (732) extending from a surface of the drug delivery device, and a door (704) comprising a spring-loaded member defining a recess (718) for receiving a portion of the pump and of a fluid line when the door is closed.