Flexible Applicator Handle Grooves for Safe Ampoule Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing applicators for dispensing small volumes of cyanoacrylate monomer solutions are difficult to activate with one hand and lack effective protection against ampoule shards, making them cumbersome and unsafe for users, especially when treating small skin areas like those with ostomies.
Innovation Solution
A handle with a flexible activation region featuring longitudinal and radial grooves that allows for easy fracture of the ampoule with one hand while preventing shard penetration, using a hollow body with a frangible ampoule and a filter to contain the solution and protect the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the applicator uses a rigid handle structure, then it provides structural strength and protection, but it becomes difficult to activate with one hand and cannot effectively fracture the ampoule
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is segmented into a rigid proximal portion and a flexible distal activation region, allowing the structure to provide strength where needed while enabling flexibility for activation. The activation region includes longitudinal grooves that create flexibility without compromising overall structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the handle have different mechanical properties: the proximal portion is rigid for structural support, while the distal activation region is flexible for ampoule fracture. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between strength and ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If the activation region is made flexible to enable easy ampoule fracture, then single-handed activation becomes possible, but the risk of ampoule shards piercing through increases
Solution Approach 1:
A filter is positioned within the hollow body to intercept and contain ampoule shards before they can reach the user. This preemptive protective measure allows the activation region to be flexible without increasing the risk of shard penetration.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter acts as an intermediary barrier between the activation region and the user's hand. It absorbs the harmful effect of ampoule fracture by capturing shards, enabling the flexible activation design to proceed without the associated safety risks.
3Ease of operation
If the applicator is designed for single-handed operation, then ease of use improves, but the ability to provide adequate protection from ampoule shards diminishes
Solution Approach 1:
The applicator is divided into functional segments: the activation region for easy single-handed operation and the filter system for reliable protection. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter serves as a protective intermediary that maintains reliability while enabling single-handed operation. It reliably contains shards regardless of how the activation region is manipulated, ensuring user protection is not compromised by the ease-of-use design.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
AI summary
An applicator (100) including a hollow body (110), the hollow body including a distal portion (112), a proximal portion (114), an exterior surface (118), an interior surface (116), and an activation region (120), where the hollow body includes at least two longitudinal grooves (122) on at least one of the exterior surface and the interior surface in the activation region of the applicator, and where the hollow body has a first radial groove (124) in the activation region that is on at least one of the exterior surface or the interior surface. The applicator includes a frangible ampoule (160) inside the hollow body, the frangible ampoule configured to contain a solution. The applicator may include a head (140) having an absorbent component (150) capable of absorbing the contents of the frangible ampoule when the ampoule is fractured and can aid in application of the ampoule contents to the desired surface.