Infusion Pump Fill Adapter With Pneumatic Vial-to-Reservoir Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wearable fluid delivery devices face challenges such as malfunction rates, size, weight, and cost, along with frequent re-location issues, and require improved designs for controlled release of therapeutics.
Innovation Solution
A fill adapter system for an infusion pump assembly includes a reusable fill adapter base with a volume control mechanism and a vial adapter assembly featuring needles for fluid transfer, along with a needle carriage and hydrophobic filter, to facilitate efficient filling and fluid coupling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If wearable fluid delivery devices are made smaller and lighter, then portability and comfort are improved, but manufacturing precision and assembly complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into modular components including a reusable pump module and disposable reservoir/cartridge assemblies. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently - the reusable portion contains precision engineering while disposable portions can be manufactured with standard precision and replaced when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs disposable cartridges and reservoirs that are pre-filled and sealed. These single-use components eliminate the need for complex sterilization and cleaning mechanisms in the reusable pump, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining precision where it matters most for patient safety.
2Ease of manufacture
If the device complexity is reduced to lower cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but reliability and controlled release precision may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the expensive, high-precision pump mechanism (reusable) from the disposable fluid containment components, the patent achieves cost-effective manufacturing through economies of scale on simple disposable parts while concentrating R&D investment in the critical pump reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable cartridges are pre-filled and pre-sealed in a controlled manufacturing environment. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex filling and sterilization equipment at the point of use, reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining reliability through factory-controlled preparation.
3Ease of operation
If the filling mechanism is simplified, then ease of operation improves, but risk of contamination and malfunction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The disposable pre-filled cartridges eliminate the need for user filling operations entirely. The cartridges arrive pre-filled and pre-sealed from the manufacturer, providing ease of operation (simple attachment) while eliminating contamination risk through factory-controlled sterile filling processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge serves as an intermediary between the manufacturing environment and the patient. It is prepared in a controlled sterile environment and then interfaces with the reusable pump through a simple mechanical connection, protecting the patient from contamination while maintaining ease of use.
4Device complexity
If needles and fluid transfer mechanisms are integrated, then device complexity decreases, but measurement precision and fluid coupling reliability may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The needle, fluid transfer pathway, and cartridge are merged into a single pre-assembled disposable unit. This integration reduces the number of separate components and connection points that could fail, while maintaining precision through factory-controlled assembly and sealing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated cartridge acts as an intermediary that pre-establishes the fluid pathway from the vial through the needle to the delivery system. This pre-configured pathway eliminates the need for user assembly of multiple components, reducing complexity while ensuring precision through manufacturer-controlled alignment and sealing.
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 enhances the reliability and efficiency of fluid delivery by reducing malfunction rates and improving the usability of wearable devices for controlled release of therapeutics.
Implementation Method 1
a pump mechanism configured to pump air into a fluid vial
Implementation Method 2
a hydrophobic filter within a fluid path of the first needle
Data Source
AI summary
A fill adapter system for an infusion pump assembly. The system includes a reusable fill adapter base, the base including a volume control mechanism to adjust an available fill volume of a reservoir of the infusion pump assembly and a pump mechanism configured to pump air into a fluid vial. The system also includes a vial adapter assembly including a first needle configured to penetrate a septum of the fluid vial for fluidly coupling the pump mechanism to the fluid vial and a second needle having a first end configured to penetrate the septum of the fluid vial and a second end configured to penetrate a septum of the reservoir of the infusion pump assembly to allow transfer of fluid from the fluid vial to the reservoir of the infusion pump assembly in response to air being pumped into the fluid vial and a needle carriage adapted to carry the first needle and the second needle, wherein the needle carriage slidably attached to the interior of the vial adapter assembly, wherein the needle carriage adapted to slide from a vial end of the vial adapter to a receptacle end of the vial adapter.