Flexible Pill Pouch for Dust-Free Crushing and Tube Administration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current pill crushers often lead to fine dust becoming airborne, causing cross-contamination and inhalation risks during the administration of medications through feeding tubes, as they do not effectively minimize dust dispersion or provide a closed system for pill preparation and delivery.

Innovation Solution

A pill pouch with a flexible receptacle and sealing mechanism, combined with a pill preparation device featuring a rolling surface and lever arm, facilitates the crushing and rolling of pills into a fine powder within a closed system, minimizing dust escape and enabling easy extraction of the medication for tube administration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a traditional mortar and pestle or open pill crusher is used to crush pills, then the pill can be reduced to smaller particles, but fine dust becomes airborne causing cross-contamination and inhalation risks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepill particle size reductionVSAvoiddust dispersion and inhalation risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a flexible pouch made of thin film material to contain the pill during crushing. The pouch acts as a barrier that prevents dust from escaping into the environment while allowing the crushing force to be transmitted effectively to reduce the pill to fine powder suitable for tube administration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a closed system is used to contain dust during pill crushing, then cross-contamination and inhalation risks are minimized, but the complexity of the device increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedust containmentVSAvoidsystem structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The device is segmented into simple, discrete components: a flexible pouch, a separate crusher mechanism, and a syringe for extraction. This segmentation allows each component to perform its function independently with simple construction, avoiding the need for complex integrated sealed systems while still achieving dust containment through the pouch barrier.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of operation

If a pill is crushed to a fine powder for tube administration, then the medication can be administered through feeding tubes, but the fine dust may clog the tube

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetube administration capabilityVSAvoidtube clogging risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The flexible pouch serves as an intermediary between the crushing mechanism and the feeding tube. It contains the pill during crushing, allows for controlled extraction of the powdered medication, and can be used to directly administer the contents through the tube, thereby enabling fine powder administration while minimizing clogging risks through controlled delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20240350367A1Pill Pouch

Publication Date: 2024.10.24 WHEELER TODD

AI summary

A pill pouch is disclosed. The pill pouch can include a receptacle to contain a pill. The receptacle can have an opening to receive the pill therein. The receptacle can be defined at least in part by a flexible side to facilitate breaking or crushing of the pill inside the receptacle. The pill pouch can also include an access feature associated with the receptacle to facilitate removal of the pill from the receptacle after the pill has been broken and/or crushed.