Infusion Pump Cap Device Piercing Sealed Cartridge
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Infusion pump systems face challenges in portability, safety, and efficiency due to large device size, sealed medicine reservoirs requiring penetration, and disposability issues, which affect user safety and convenience.
Innovation Solution
A medical infusion pump system with a cap device that secures a medicine cartridge, pierces a sealed end, and includes a drive system using a spring and electrically powered actuator to reliably dispense medicine, featuring a ratchet mechanism and adjustable pawl for incremental dosing, allowing for safe and energy-efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the pump device is made large to house pump components, then the device can accommodate necessary components, but portability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The pump device is divided into separate components: a reusable pump housing containing the drive mechanism and a disposable cartridge containing the medicine reservoir and plunger. This segmentation allows the pump housing to be compact while the cartridge can be pre-filled and sealed, resolving the contradiction between housing components and portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge is inserted into the pump housing, with the plunger nested within the medicine reservoir. The cap device nests multiple functions including sealing, piercing, and securing mechanisms. This nested structure maximizes functionality within a compact form factor.
2Reliability
If the reservoir is sealed to maintain safety, then contamination is prevented, but penetration is required before infusion
Solution Approach 1:
The cap device is pre-configured with a piercing element that automatically penetrates the sealed reservoir end when the cartridge is installed. This preliminary action of sealing maintains safety during storage and transport, while the automated piercing eliminates manual intervention, resolving the contradiction between sealed safety and operation ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-piercing through the sealed reservoir when the cartridge is properly installed in the pump housing. The cap device automatically creates the flow path without requiring external penetration tools or manual opening, maintaining both safety and operational simplicity.
3Reliability
If the pump device is designed for single use to ensure safety, then user safety is improved, but disposal creates waste
Solution Approach 1:
The pump system is segmented into a reusable pump housing and a disposable cartridge. Only the cartridge containing the medicine and plunger is disposed of after single use, while the expensive pump housing with drive mechanism is reused. This resolves the contradiction between safety through disposability and waste reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable cartridge is discarded after use, while the pump housing is recovered and reused for subsequent cartridges. This selective discarding approach maintains safety by ensuring single-use of the medicine-containing component while reducing overall waste by reusing the mechanical pump system.
4Use of energy by moving object
If a spring device is used to provide dispensing energy, then energy efficiency is improved, but reliable advancement of piston rod requires additional mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces continuous electrical motor actuation with a spring-based mechanical energy storage system. The spring provides dispensing energy through controlled release, improving energy efficiency. The ratchet mechanism is introduced to ensure unidirectional, reliable advancement of the piston rod, preventing backflow and ensuring accurate dosing despite the added mechanical complexity.
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
The system provides a portable, safe, and energy-efficient means of dispensing medicine, ensuring accurate dosages and user safety through secure cartridge retention, controlled dispensation, and prevention of improper use or occlusions.
Implementation Method 1
The drive system may include a spring device that urges the movable pawl to adjust from the reset position to the forward position
Implementation Method 2
The drive system may include a ratchet wheel that is incrementally rotated in a forward direction to rotate the drive wheel and thereby advance the piston rod
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments of a medical infusion pump system include a pump device having a cap device that mates with a pump housing to retain a medicine cartridge therein. In addition to retaining the medicine cartridge in the pump housing, the cap device may perform a number of preparatory functions or safety functions. In addition or in the alternative, some embodiments of the pump device may include a drive system that advances a piston rod to dispense medicine to the patient in a safe and energy efficient manner.