Infusion Pump Drive System with Segmented Cartridge
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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, pierces a sealed end, provides a flow sensor, and locks the cartridge for disposal, combined with a drive system using a spring and electric actuator for precise and energy-efficient medicine dispensation, allowing for portable and wearable designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the pump device is designed to be portable and wearable, then the device size is reduced, but it becomes difficult to house all necessary pump components
Solution Approach 1:
The pump device is divided into separate components: a reusable pump housing containing the drive mechanism and a disposable medicine cartridge containing the reservoir and plunger. This segmentation allows the pump housing to be compact for portability while the medicine cartridge can be optimally designed for its specific function without constraining the overall device size.
Solution Approach 2:
The medicine reservoir and plunger are extracted into a separate disposable cartridge that can be pre-filled and sealed. This extraction allows the main pump device to be smaller since it only needs to house the drive mechanism, while the reservoir capacity is determined by the external cartridge.
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 medicine cartridge is pre-filled and sealed in a controlled environment before use. The seal is already in place when the cartridge is manufactured, eliminating the need for complex penetration mechanisms during patient use. The cartridge is simply attached to the pump, and the pre-existing seal maintains sterility.
Solution Approach 2:
The penetration function is extracted and performed by a simple piercing element on the pump housing that punctures the cartridge seal at the time of attachment. This simple extraction point replaces the need for complex ongoing penetration mechanisms, maintaining reliability while reducing overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If the pump device is disposed of after exhaustion, then user safety is improved, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pump system is segmented into a reusable pump housing and a disposable medicine cartridge. Only the cartridge is disposed of after exhaustion, while the expensive pump housing with drive mechanism can be reused multiple times. This segmentation reduces the frequency of disposal and overall cost compared to disposing of the entire device.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable cartridge is discarded after use to ensure safety, but the reusable pump housing is recovered and can be refilled with new cartridges. This recovery and reuse of the main device reduces waste and cost while maintaining the safety benefits of single-use medicine containment.
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 safe, accurate, and energy-efficient medicine dispensation, promoting user safety and convenience through portability and easy operation, with the cap device ensuring proper engagement and disposal, and the drive system ensuring controlled dosages.
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 an electrically powered actuator that decouples from the ratchet mechanism during the drive step
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments of a medical infusion pump system include a drive system that advances a piston rod to dispense medicine to the patient in a safe and energy efficient manner.