Inhaler Actuation Button Spring-Loaded Piercing Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dry powder inhalers lack efficient mechanisms for dispensing medicament from sealed doses like capsules or blisters, often requiring manual piercing or opening, which can be cumbersome and may not ensure proper dosing or retention of the medicament.
Innovation Solution
A dry powder inhaler design featuring a shell with a moveable upper part, an actuation button biased by spring forces, and a latch system that allows the button to transition from a projected to a retracted position, engaging a piercing element to dispense medicament from sealed doses, while maintaining the dose within the chamber until inhalation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If manual piercing or opening of sealed doses is required, then device complexity is reduced, but ease of operation deteriorates and reliability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The piercing element is pre-positioned within the inhaler device, ready to pierce the sealed dose when the actuation button is pressed. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need for manual piercing preparation while ensuring reliable automatic piercing upon actuation, thus improving ease of operation without significantly increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs the piercing action automatically through the spring-loaded actuation mechanism, eliminating the need for user intervention in the piercing process. The sealed dose is self-pierced by the device's own components, improving ease of operation while maintaining relatively simple device architecture
2Manufacturing precision
If manual opening of sealed doses is used, then manufacturing precision requirements are reduced, but dosing reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The manual mechanical opening action is replaced with a controlled spring-loaded piercing mechanism. This mechanical substitution ensures consistent piercing depth and angle through the spring force, improving dosing reliability by ensuring complete and consistent dose release without requiring high manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded actuation mechanism changes the piercing parameters (force, speed, consistency) automatically. By controlling the spring compression and release parameters, the system ensures reliable piercing and dose dispensing with standard manufacturing tolerances, improving dosing reliability without demanding extreme manufacturing precision
3Ease of operation
If the actuation button projects from the surface, then ease of operation improves, but device complexity increases due to additional retention mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The latch mechanism is integrated into the upper shell part as a latching projection that works with the latching edge on the actuation button. This merging of the retention feature into the existing shell structure provides accidental removal prevention without adding separate complex retention mechanisms, thus limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The latching projection on the upper shell part serves multiple functions: it provides accidental removal prevention, works with the ramp to control button movement, and integrates with the overall housing structure. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate retention components, limiting device complexity increase while ensuring proper operation
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
This design ensures easy and controlled dispensing of medicament, providing tactile feedback and preventing accidental removal of the dispensing assembly, enhancing user experience and ensuring proper dosing by maintaining the medicament within the chamber until inhalation.
Implementation Method 1
an actuation button coupled to the lower shell part and biased by a first biasing means acting between the actuation button and the lower shell part towards a projected position
Implementation Method 2
movement of the actuation button from the projected position to the retracted position causes the latching projection to ride over the ramp, which may cause the upper shell part to resiliently move away from the closed configuration
Data Source
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AI summary
A dry powder inhaler comprises a shell having upper and lower shell parts, and an inhalation piece, through which a user can inhale medicament. The inhalation piece is coupled to the lower shell part and the upper shell part is moveable between a closed configuration, coupled to the lower shell part and covering the inhalation piece, and an open configuration in which the inhalation piece is exposed. An actuation button is coupled to the lower shell part and biased by a first biasing mechanism acting between the actuation button and the lower shell part towards a projected position projecting from the surface of the lower shell part and moveable to a retracted position. Movement of the actuation button causes medicament to be dispensed for subsequent inhalation through the inhalation piece.