Ambulatory Infusion Filter Assembly Bubble Trap Elimination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ambulatory infusion devices face issues with gas bubbles accumulating in the reservoir, which can block hydrophilic filters and cause vapor lock due to the design of the filter assembly, leading to ineffective substance delivery.
Innovation Solution
The filter assembly is redesigned to eliminate the pocket that acts as a bubble trap by ensuring the filter extends to the free end of the housing filter portion and is offset from the inner surface, preventing bubbles from accumulating and ensuring continuous substance delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a filter assembly with a pocket design is used, then the filter can be installed in the reservoir, but gas bubbles accumulate in the pocket and block the filter causing vapor lock
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the problematic pocket structure from the filter assembly design. By removing the pocket that trapped bubbles, the design prevents bubble accumulation at the filter inlet while maintaining effective substance delivery through the filter.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having a pocket design that collects bubbles, the invention inverts the approach by creating a smooth, continuous filter surface that extends to the reservoir wall, preventing bubble trapping through the opposite geometric configuration.
2Reliability
If the filter does not extend to the free end of the housing filter portion, then the filter assembly is easier to manufacture, but bubbles accumulate and block substance delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The filter assembly is segmented into distinct functional portions: a filter portion with filtering elements and a housing filter portion that extends to the reservoir wall. This segmentation allows the filter to reach the free end for reliable delivery while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through modular construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter extends in the radial dimension to reach the free end of the housing filter portion, creating a dimensionally optimized structure that prevents bubble accumulation zones while remaining manufacturable through standard assembly processes.
3Strength
If a bubble trap pocket is present in the filter assembly, then the filter is supported structurally, but it causes vapor lock by blocking substance flow
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful bubble trap pocket is extracted and removed from the design. Structural support is maintained through alternative means such as the housing filter portion and support elements that do not create bubble accumulation zones, thereby preserving both strength and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter utilizes porous filtering materials that provide structural support through their inherent matrix structure, eliminating the need for a separate pocket-based support system that would trap bubbles and reduce delivery rate.
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
This design prevents bubble accumulation, ensuring that the infusion device functions effectively even when air bubbles are present, reducing the likelihood of vapor lock and maintaining consistent delivery of the infusible substance.
Implementation Method 1
a filter that extends to at least the free end of the housing filter portion eliminates the above-described bubble trap
Data Source
AI summary
An ambulatory infusing device including a housing, a reservoir defining an interior volume, a wall associated with the housing and having an inner surface that faces into the reservoir interior volume, and a filter assembly. The filter assembly may include a filter assembly housing with a housing filter portion having a free end associated with the inner surface of the wall and a filter supporting volume that extends to the free end of the housing filter portion, and a filter located within the filter supporting volume that extends to at least the free end of the housing filter portion.