Injection Device Sliding Scale Drum for Dose Visibility

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing injection devices have limited space for displaying dose settings, making it difficult to increase dose sizes and compromising visibility for users, especially those with impaired sight.

Innovation Solution

An injection device with a rotatable scale drum and sliding element that moves axially within the housing, allowing for larger indicia display without increasing the device's length, utilizing the entire surface of the scale drum for dose indication and incorporating a torsion spring for injection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If the scale drum is made longer to display larger dose indicia, then the visibility and dose setting capacity is improved, but the device length increases and requires manual pushing during injection

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisibility of dose indiciaVSAvoiddevice length

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The scale drum is nested within the housing boundaries and rotates in place rather than extending outward. The sliding element with window is positioned within the housing to view the scale drum indicia, allowing the scale drum to be fully contained while still providing visible dose indication through the window mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of increasing the scale drum length axially (one dimension), the patent uses a sliding element that moves axially within the housing to reveal different portions of the scale drum through a window. This transforms the problem from a linear scaling issue to a two-dimensional solution involving both radial rotation of the scale drum and axial movement of the sliding element.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Length of moving object

If the scale drum rotates within housing boundaries, then the device length is maintained, but the scale drum length is limited reducing visible indicia size

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice lengthVSAvoidvisibility of dose indicia

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a sliding element that dynamically moves axially within the housing during dose setting. This sliding element with its window provides a dynamic viewing mechanism that reveals different portions of the scale drum as it rotates, allowing the full circumference of the scale drum to be utilized for indicia while maintaining a constant device length.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The sliding element with window acts as an intermediary between the user and the scale drum indicia. Instead of directly viewing the entire scale drum, the user views the indicia through the window of the sliding element, which mediates the display by revealing only the relevant portion of the rotating scale drum at any given time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Loss of information

If larger indicia are printed on the scale drum, then visibility for impaired sight is improved, but the dose setting range is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisibility of dose indiciaVSAvoiddose setting range

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the dose indication display into two components: the scale drum that rotates to select different dose values, and the sliding element with window that controls what portion is visible. This segmentation allows the scale drum to be fully utilized for displaying multiple dose options while the window mechanism ensures only one indicia is visible at a time, maintaining large indicia size without limiting the dose range.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds the axial movement dimension of the sliding element to the rotational dimension of the scale drum. This creates a two-dimensional display mechanism where the scale drum provides the full dose range around its circumference, while the sliding element's axial position controls which portion is visible through the window, allowing large indicia to be displayed without reducing the available dose setting range.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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

Enables larger, more visible dose setting indicia without increasing the device's size, improving usability for higher doses and users with impaired vision by utilizing the entire scale drum surface and maintaining a compact device form.

Implementation Method 1

incorporating a torsion spring for injection

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTorsion spring: Torsion Spring

Data Source

PatentUS9901685B2Injection device with a sliding scale

Publication Date: 2018.02.27 NOVO NORDISK AS

AI summary

The present invention relates to an injection device for automatic spring driven injection of a liquid drug. The injection device has a dose setting mechanism by which doses of an individual size can be set by a user, and a mechanical dose size display for displaying the size of the set dose. The scale drum (20) is coupled to a rotatable dose dial button (10) which is axially retained in relation to the housing (2) and by which the individual doses can be set.