Injection Device Toothed Gearing for Controlled Actuation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing injection devices for self-administered medications face challenges such as visible needles posing a risk, difficulty for users with needle phobia, and inadequate dwell time leading to medication discharge, while fully automatic devices are complex and costly, making them unsuitable for disposable use.

Innovation Solution

A cost-effective injection device with a toothed gearing transmission mechanism that allows for controlled actuation using a minimal number of components, primarily made from plastics, enabling user-friendly and safe operation with precise control, including features like dual rotation gears, resilient toothings, and a blocking mechanism to ensure sufficient dwell time and safe needle retraction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a fully automatic control arrangement is used to ensure precise injection control and dwell time, then injection precision and safety are improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinjection control precisionVSAvoidcontrol arrangement complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a disposable injection device where the entire control arrangement including the toothed gearing is designed as a single-use plastic component. This eliminates the need for complex, expensive reusable mechanical systems while maintaining precise control during the injection process. The disposable nature allows for simplified design without compromising safety or precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex mechanical control systems with a simplified toothed gearing mechanism that provides precise control through purely mechanical means. The gearing system translates linear actuation element movement into controlled rotational motion of the syringe plunger, eliminating the need for electronic sensors, motors, or complex feedback mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of manufacture

If a simple disposable syringe design is used, then cost and ease of manufacture are improved, but safety features and control precision deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction costVSAvoidsafety and control
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple safety and control functions into a single integrated toothed gearing mechanism. The same gearing that provides precise injection control also ensures the needle remains covered during disposal, and the blocking mechanism prevents accidental activation. This integration maintains reliability while keeping the device simple and cost-effective for disposable use.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The toothed gearing system is designed to automatically perform multiple functions: it controls the injection stroke, maintains dwell time by preventing backward motion, and ensures needle retraction. The mechanism serves itself by using the user's simple linear actuation to automatically execute the complex sequence of injection steps without requiring additional controls or monitoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Device complexity

If manual actuation is used to reduce complexity, then device simplicity is improved, but control precision and dwell time maintenance worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol mechanism simplicityVSAvoidinjection control accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The toothed gearing acts as an intermediary mechanism between the user's simple linear actuation and the syringe plunger. It translates the user's straightforward push motion into precise controlled movement of the plunger, maintaining injection accuracy while keeping the user interface simple. The gearing ratio provides mechanical advantage and control precision without requiring the user to perform complex actions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 device provides a safe, user-friendly, and cost-effective solution for self-administered injections by ensuring accurate control, preventing medication discharge, and allowing safe needle disposal, while being suitable for disposable use due to its simplified design and materials.

Implementation Method 1

The transmission mechanism comprises a toothed gearing (28), by means of which the ram holder (18) can be driven depending on a relative movement of the actuation element (20) relative to the housing (4)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGear mechanism: Gear

Data Source

PatentUS10322246B2Injection device with toothed gearing
Publication Date: 2019.06.18 H&B ELECTRONICS GMBH & CO KG
  • US10322246B2 patent drawing
  • US10322246B2 patent drawing
  • US10322246B2 patent drawing

AI summary

An injection device has a housing in which a syringe can be received that has an injection needle, a receiving chamber, a piston and a piston ram, and a control arrangement for controlled actuation of the syringe during an application procedure that includes at least one puncture stroke, one injection stroke and one return stroke. The control arrangement has an actuation element for applying a drive force to a syringe holder which is movable relative to the housing and on which the receiving chamber can be secured, a ram holder which is movable relative to the housing and on which the piston ram can be secured, and a transmission mechanism by means of which the ram holder can be coupled to the actuation element. Provision is made that the transmission mechanism has a toothed gearing by means of which the ram holder can be driven, according to a relative movement of the actuation element with respect to the housing, and which for this purpose has teeth on the housing.