Glass Medical Container Threaded Distal Tip Connection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing drug delivery devices face challenges in maintaining a reliable and cost-effective connection between the medical container and connecting elements due to limitations in torque and pull-out force resistance, often requiring adhesive layers that increase manufacturing costs.

Innovation Solution

A medical container with a glass distal tip featuring an integrally formed thread, positioned away from the distal shoulder, provides a reliable connection to a connecting element through a complementary internal thread, eliminating the need for adhesive layers and reducing manufacturing costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If an adaptor is connected around the longitudinal tip by snap-fitting or friction force, then the connection is simple to manufacture, but the torque and pull out force resistance are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidconnection reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical snap-fitting or friction-based connection system with a chemical bonding system using an adhesive layer in the annular space between the mounting ring and longitudinal tip. This substitution provides superior torque and pull-out force resistance while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If an adhesive layer is added in the annular space to bond the adaptor to the longitudinal tip, then the torque and pull out force resistance are improved, but the manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection reliabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the adhesive bonding function from a separate manufacturing step and integrates it into the adaptor design itself by incorporating the adhesive layer as an inherent component within the annular space during adaptor fabrication. This integration eliminates additional manufacturing steps and reduces overall manufacturing costs while maintaining high connection reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Length of moving object

If the thread is positioned close to the distal shoulder of the barrel, then the length of the longitudinal tip is reduced, but the connection reliability may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelength of longitudinal tipVSAvoidconnection reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent resolves the conflict between tip length and connection reliability by transitioning from a linear arrangement (thread immediately adjacent to distal shoulder) to a radial/dimensional arrangement (thread positioned circumferentially around the tip at an optimized distance). This allows the thread to engage the adaptor's internal thread with sufficient overlap and bonding surface area, ensuring connection reliability while maintaining a compact overall tip length.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS20220355036A1Medical Container and a Drug Delivery Device Comprising Said Medical Container

Publication Date: 2022.11.10 BECTON DICKINSON FRANCE SAS

AI summary

This medical container includes a tubular barrel defining a reservoir for a medical product and a longitudinal distal tip defining a fluid path in communication with the reservoir in order to allow the medical product to be expelled from the medical container. The distal tip and the barrel are made of glass and the distal tip is provided with a thread, the thread being configured to connect the distal tip to a connecting element having a complementarily shaped internal thread.