Autoinjector with Fillable Medicine Container and Conduit Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automatic injection syringes, or autoinjectors, are limited in flexibility as they are typically sold as standardized unit doses with pre-filled drug solutions, offering no option for dose adjustment and are costly to manufacture, making them inaccessible for many therapeutic applications.
Innovation Solution
An automatic injection syringe assembly with a fillable medicine container and conduit system that allows users to easily fill and adjust the dosage, featuring a housing, medicine container, and conduit assembly with a ratcheting mechanism, enabling one-directional movement and fluid communication, facilitating safe and economical use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pre-filled drug solutions are used in standardized unit doses, then ease of use is improved, but flexibility for dose adjustment is lost and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate components: a reusable autoinjector body and a disposable cartridge that can be filled with different drug solutions. This segmentation allows the same device platform to be used with various medications and dosages, providing flexibility while maintaining ease of use through standardized operation procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston mechanism is designed to be dynamically adjustable during the filling process. The conduit member can be positioned at different depths to control the fill volume, and the ratcheting mechanism allows for controlled, incremental adjustments. This dynamic capability enables flexible dosing while maintaining simple user operation.
2Ease of operation
If pre-filled drug solutions are used in standardized unit doses, then ease of use is improved, but manufacturing costs increase making products inaccessible
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the expensive reusable autoinjector body from the disposable cartridge, the manufacturing complexity and cost are distributed. The cartridge can be manufactured using simpler, more cost-effective processes, while the sophisticated mechanisms remain in the durable reusable body, reducing overall manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The device enables users to perform the filling operation themselves using a standard syringe, eliminating the need for specialized factory filling equipment and processes. This self-service capability significantly reduces manufacturing costs while maintaining ease of use through intuitive design.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a fillable medicine container with conduit member is used, then flexibility for dose adjustment is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filling mechanism is extracted as a separate, simple subsystem involving only a conduit member and ratcheting mechanism, rather than integrating a complex automated filling system into the main device. This extraction reduces overall device complexity while maintaining dose adjustment flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The conduit member acts as an intermediary component that simplifies the interaction between the user's standard syringe and the medicine container. This intermediary enables flexible dosing through a simple connection interface without requiring complex integrated filling mechanisms.
4Reliability
If a ratcheting mechanism is used to allow one-directional movement, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ratcheting mechanism is implemented as a simple, inexpensive mechanical feature in the disposable cartridge rather than a complex electronic or mechanical system in the reusable body. This approach provides safety through a fail-safe one-directional locking mechanism while minimizing added complexity and cost.
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
Enables users to customize dosages and fill the syringe with medicament efficiently, reducing manufacturing costs and increasing accessibility for various therapeutic applications while maintaining ease of use and safety.
Implementation Method 1
The rod is moveable between a first position adjacent the piston to a second position extending through the piston
Implementation Method 2
A channel or conduit within the conduit member is in fluid communication with the open proximal end and the open distal end of the conduit member
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic injection syringe assembly having an integrated and fillable medicine container that includes a medicine container within a housing and a conduit assembly. The medicine container includes a piston having an aperture at a distal end thereof for the passage of fluid therethrough. The conduit assembly includes a conduit member that is releasably connected to the housing and has an open proximal end and an open distal end. The open distal end of the conduit member is releasably engaged with the piston and in fluid communication with the piston aperture. The open proximal end and the open distal end of the conduit member are m fluid communication via a conduit within the conduit member.