Injection Delivery Device With Moving Vial

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional injection delivery devices, such as syringes and autoinjectors, often shorten the shelf life of medications due to exposure to metal or air, and are either costly or impractical for pre-loading medications, necessitating a design that minimizes contamination and is simple to use and manufacture.

Innovation Solution

The design features a medication-containing vial with a sealed open end and a plunger/needle configuration where the vial moves relative to the stationary plunger and needle, ensuring the medication is not exposed until delivery, and includes a needle shield for safe storage and disposal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a traditional syringe design with a plunger pressing against liquid medicine in a vial is used, then the injection can be delivered, but the shelf life of the medication is shortened due to exposure to metal or air

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshelf life of medicationVSAvoidexposure to metal or air

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The device is divided into separate functional components: a sealed vial containing the medication, a plunger assembly with needle, and a barrier mechanism. The vial remains sealed and isolated from the needle and external environment until the moment of injection, preventing contamination while allowing delivery when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The vial is pre-filled and sealed with the medication before use, and the device is prepared in advance with all components in place. The seal remains intact during storage, and the injection mechanism is pre-configured so that no additional assembly or exposure is needed at the time of use, maintaining medication integrity throughout storage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If non-reactive needle material is used to prevent contamination, then the medication shelf life is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemedication shelf lifeVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The needle is completely separated from the medication containment system. The vial with medication remains sealed and isolated, while the needle is part of a separate plunger assembly that only contacts the medication at the moment of injection through the seal, eliminating the need for expensive non-reactive needle materials for storage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

A seal acts as an intermediary barrier between the medication in the vial and the needle. This seal prevents direct contact between the medication and needle during storage, allowing the use of standard, cost-effective materials for both the vial and needle while maintaining medication integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If a conservative construction requiring loading of medication immediately prior to use is used, then contamination is minimized, but the device becomes impractical for some applications

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontamination during storageVSAvoidpracticality for pre-loading

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The device combines the advantages of pre-filled systems with the safety of immediate loading. The vial is pre-filled and sealed with the medication, but the injection mechanism remains isolated until use. The entire system is pre-assembled in a sterile, contamination-free state, allowing practical pre-loading while maintaining medication integrity throughout storage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Object-affected harmful factors

If the vial and needle are positioned such that the needle is outside the vial during storage, then contamination is prevented, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemedication exposure during storageVSAvoidrelative positioning mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The needle and plunger assembly is nested within or alongside the vial in a compact configuration during storage. The vial contains the medication while the needle remains isolated, and both components are positioned within the same device housing. This nested arrangement maintains separation and prevents contamination while avoiding complex external mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS12133971B2Injection delivery device

Publication Date: 2024.11.05 L G P TECH HLDG LLC

AI summary

An injection delivery device involves a body, a medication-containing vial within at least a portion of the body, the medication-containing vial having an open end and a closed end opposite the open end. The open end of the vial includes a seal that prevents medication contained therein from exiting the vial until delivery of the medication to a target injection site is desired. The injection delivery device also includes a plunger positioned near the open end of the vial and a needle having a passage therethrough, wherein the needle, plunger and vial are positioned relative to each other such that, during delivery of an injection, a portion of the passage will be within the plunger, and the plunger and needle will remain stationary relative to each other while the vial moves relative the plunger in a direction towards the target injection site.