Wearable Infusion Pump Housing With Releasable Switch Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wearable infusion devices for therapeutic delivery suffer from malfunctions, size, weight, and cost issues, and often require frequent re-location due to skin irritation, posing challenges for consistent and reliable drug administration.
Innovation Solution
A wearable infusion pump assembly with a reusable and disposable housing system, featuring a releasable engagement mechanism, a switch assembly for functionality control, and a computer-readable medium for processing signals to manage bolus infusion, separation detection, and pairing with a remote control, utilizing shape-memory actuators for mechanical control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If wearable infusion devices are made smaller and lighter, then portability and comfort are improved, but reliability and malfunction rates worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into reusable components (housing, electronics, pump mechanism) and disposable components (reservoir, infusion set, seals). This segmentation allows the critical functional components to be reused while replacing only the fluid-delivery components, maintaining reliability without compromising portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The reservoir and infusion set are designed as disposable components that are replaced regularly, ensuring that any degradation or malfunction in these critical fluid-contact components does not affect the overall device reliability. The reusable housing and electronics can be manufactured with higher quality standards despite the device's compact size.
2Volume of moving object
If the device is made more compact, then size and weight are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into modular components (reusable housing assembly and disposable housing assembly) that can be independently manufactured, tested, and assembled. This modularity simplifies the overall system complexity by allowing each module to be optimized separately while maintaining a compact integrated form.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable housing assembly containing the reservoir is nested within or integrated with the reusable housing assembly. This nesting approach allows the device to maintain a compact overall volume while containing multiple functional subsystems within the same spatial envelope, avoiding the need for larger external housings.
3Ease of operation
If the device remains in one location on the skin, then application simplicity is improved, but skin irritation increases requiring frequent re-location
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates dynamic elements such as flexible adhesive interfaces and adjustable positioning mechanisms that allow the device to accommodate skin movement and contour changes. This dynamic adaptation reduces stress concentration points that cause skin irritation while maintaining simple application procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The device housing and adhesive interface utilize flexible materials and thin-film constructions that conform to the skin's surface and move with it. This flexibility distributes mechanical stress across a larger area, reducing localized irritation while allowing the device to remain in place for extended periods without frequent re-positioning.
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 reliable, user-friendly, and cost-effective therapeutic delivery with reduced malfunctions, allowing for secure engagement, audible feedback, and remote control integration, enhancing user convenience and safety.
Implementation Method 1
at least one shape-memory actuator configured to actuate the pump assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable infusion pump assembly includes a reusable housing assembly, and a disposable housing assembly including a reservoir for receiving an infusible fluid. The wearable infusion pump assembly also includes a releasable engagement assembly configured to allow the reusable housing assembly to releasably engage the disposable housing assembly. A switch assembly of the wearable infusion pump assembly is configured to effectuate a functionality of the infusion pump assembly.