Flexible Patch Pump With Segmented Reservoirs for Multi-Medicament Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patch pumps are rigid, bulky, and limited in delivering multiple medicaments accurately, often requiring aggressive adhesives and separate devices for combination therapies, leading to skin irritation and imprecise medicament delivery.
Innovation Solution
A flexible patch pump with multiple rigid reservoirs embedded in a flexible substrate, featuring microfluidic channels and individually-addressable actuators, allowing for precise and comfortable delivery of multiple medicaments with reduced adhesive use and improved skin compatibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If existing patch pumps use a rigid structure to maintain shape and stability, then the pump can maintain its form, but it becomes bulky and prone to detachment requiring aggressive adhesives that cause skin irritation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by replacing the rigid pump housing with a flexible substrate that can conform to the skin surface. The flexible substrate maintains pump functionality while eliminating the need for aggressive adhesives, thereby reducing skin irritation. The flexible nature allows the pump to adapt to skin contours without requiring strong adhesive bonds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining flexible substrate materials with rigid reservoir components. This composite structure provides both the flexibility needed for skin compatibility and the structural integrity required for stable medicament storage and delivery, resolving the contradiction between structural stability and skin compatibility.
2Device complexity
If existing patch pumps use a single reservoir to simplify device structure, then the pump is easier to manufacture, but it cannot deliver multiple medicaments accurately and requires separate devices for combination therapies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the single reservoir into multiple separate reservoirs, each capable of containing and delivering a different medicament. This segmentation enables accurate delivery of multiple medicaments simultaneously or sequentially while maintaining relatively simple individual reservoir structures that are easy to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements multi-functionality by designing the pump system to handle multiple medicament types through multiple reservoirs. Each reservoir can be independently controlled and delivered through a common delivery mechanism, providing universal capability for combination therapies without requiring separate devices for each medicament.
3Device complexity
If existing patch pumps use a single or dual reservoir to reduce device complexity, then the pump structure is simpler, but it becomes difficult to control the delivery of accurate amounts of medicament
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses segmentation to divide the medicament delivery system into multiple independent reservoirs, each with its own actuator for precise control. This segmentation allows accurate measurement and delivery of specific amounts of each medicament while keeping individual reservoir structures simple and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing individually-addressable actuators for each reservoir, enabling precise control of medicament delivery from each specific reservoir. This localized control mechanism ensures accurate delivery amounts for each medicament type while maintaining overall system simplicity.
4Strength
If existing patch pumps use a rigid structure to maintain pump integrity, then the pump can protect internal components, but it requires aggressive adhesives for attachment that lead to skin irritation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rigid protective housing with a flexible substrate that inherently protects internal components while conforming to the skin. This flexible structure eliminates the need for aggressive adhesives by providing gentle skin contact, thereby preventing adhesive-related skin irritation while maintaining pump integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials to create a flexible yet protective pump structure. The composite construction provides mechanical protection for internal components through the flexible substrate itself, eliminating the need for separate rigid housings and aggressive adhesives, thus preventing skin irritation.
Data Source
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Figure 5A~5B
AI summary
A flexible patch pump for controllable accurate subcutaneous delivery of one or more medicaments to a patient includes a laminated layered structure. The pump may have a rigid reservoir layer including a number of rigid reservoirs disposed in a flexible material; a flexible microfluidic layer including a compliant membrane for sealing the rigid reservoirs, a network of microfluidic channels connecting the rigid reservoirs, and a number of inlet and/or outlet valves corresponding to the rigid reservoirs; and a flexible-rigid electronic circuit layer including a number of individually-addressable actuators. In operation, the rigid reservoirs may contain medicament that is dispensed in precise volumes at appropriate times due, for example, to a pressure change in an addressed reservoir caused by displacement of the compliant membrane or other actuation element.