Infusion Pump Cap Device and Drive System Design
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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, provides a flow path, and includes a drive system using a spring and electric actuator for precise dosage delivery, allowing for portable and safe operation with a reusable controller and disposable pump unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the pump device is made large to house all pump components, then the device can contain all necessary components, but portability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The pump system is divided into separate components: a reusable controller device and a disposable pump device. The disposable pump device contains only the cartridge and minimal components, while the reusable controller houses the complex drive system and electronics. This segmentation allows the disposable unit to be small and portable while the complex components are concentrated in the reusable unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump device uses a disposable cartridge that is discarded after a single use or after a certain period. This disposable approach eliminates the need for a large, complex reusable pump body, allowing the main pump device to be minimized in size while maintaining all necessary functions in the reusable controller.
2Reliability
If the reservoir is provided in a sealed form, then the medicine is protected from contamination, but the seal requires penetration which adds complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge is pre-sealed in a sterile, contamination-free state before use. The seal is broken automatically when the cartridge is inserted into the pump device, eliminating the need for complex penetration mechanisms during operation. The preliminary sealing protects the medicine, and the insertion process itself accomplishes the seal breach.
Solution Approach 2:
The penetration function is extracted from the main pump device and incorporated into the cartridge design itself. The cartridge includes a breakable seal that is pierced by the pump device during insertion, separating the sealing function from the pumping mechanism and simplifying the overall device complexity.
3Reliability
If the pump device is designed for disposal after exhaustion, then user safety is improved, but the cost and waste increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pump system uses a disposable cartridge that is inexpensive to manufacture and discard. The cartridge contains the medicine and basic pumping components, and is designed for single-use or limited-use disposal. This ensures user safety by preventing reuse of exhausted devices while minimizing waste through the use of cost-effective, disposable components.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable cartridge is discarded after exhaustion, but the reusable controller device is recovered and can be used with new cartridges. This approach maintains user safety through disposal of the potentially contaminated cartridge while recovering the expensive electronic and mechanical components for continued use, reducing overall waste.
4Use of energy by moving object
If a spring device is used to provide dispensing drive energy, then energy efficiency is improved, but the reset mechanism requires additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The spring device automatically resets itself after each dispensing cycle without requiring external power or complex control systems. The spring is wound by the motor during the reset phase, and then automatically releases to drive the plunger during the dispensing phase. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for continuous electrical power during dispensing and reduces overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive system operates in periodic cycles: the motor winds the spring during a reset phase, then the spring automatically drives the plunger during a dispensing phase. This periodic operation allows the system to switch between electrical power (for resetting) and mechanical energy storage (for dispensing), improving energy efficiency while using a simple cyclic mechanism rather than continuous complex control.
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 enables accurate, safe, and energy-efficient medicine dispensation, promoting user safety and convenience through portability and easy operation, with the ability to monitor infusion pump operation without separate modules.
Implementation Method 1
The drive system may employ a spring device or the like to provide the dispensing drive energy to a ratchet mechanism
Implementation Method 2
the drive system may include an electrically powered actuator (e.g., a reversible motor) that provides the reset energy to the ratchet mechanism
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.