Multiple Injection Needle Assembly with Asymmetric Flow Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multiple injection needle assemblies are limited by a square-like arrangement, making it difficult to inject products into non-square body areas, such as narrow muscles or wrinkles, requiring multiple devices and increasing time and cost.
Innovation Solution
An injection needle assembly with at least four injection needles, featuring main and secondary liquid pathways that ensure a similar pressure drop and flow rate across all needles, allowing for a wide range of arrangements including circular or linear configurations, ensuring homogeneous injection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If injection needles are arranged in a square configuration, then the device can treat large areas of the body, but it cannot effectively treat non-square portions such as narrow muscles, face portions, or wrinkles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by providing multiple injection needles (at least four) with different distances from the common liquid supply point. Each needle has a uniquely configured liquid pathway with different dimensions, creating asymmetric flow paths that enable adaptation to non-square body portions while maintaining homogeneous injection through pressure drop compensation
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple injection needles with different pathway lengths are used to achieve flexible arrangements, then adaptability to different body areas is improved, but pressure drop variation across needles increases causing non-homogeneous injection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by systematically varying the dimensions of liquid pathways (cross-sectional area, length, shape) to compensate for different pathway lengths. The pathways are designed with different parameters such that the pressure drop from the common supply point to each needle tip is substantially equal, ensuring homogeneous injection despite asymmetric arrangements
3Device complexity
If a single common liquid supply point is used for multiple needles, then device complexity is reduced, but pressure drop variation across different needle pathways causes non-uniform injection flow rates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing a common liquid supply point for all needles (reducing overall device complexity) while simultaneously creating locally differentiated pathway dimensions at each needle location. Each pathway has unique local characteristics (cross-sectional area, length, shape) tailored to compensate for its specific distance and orientation from the common supply point, ensuring equal pressure drop and homogeneous injection
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 efficient and homogeneous injection into various body areas with a single device, optimizing the delivery of therapeutic, cosmetic, or prophylactic products while minimizing dead volume and allowing for flexible needle arrangements.
Implementation Method 1
the main liquid pathways and the secondary liquid pathways define N liquid flow paths between the first liquid port and the N second liquid ports and are dimensioned so that a pressure drop between the first liquid port and each of the N second liquid ports is similar
Data Source
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AI summary
Injection needle assembly comprising: • at least N injection needles where N is at least four and a multiple of two, • a first liquid port adapted to be connected to an injection device, • N second liquid ports, each connected to one of the N injection needles, •N/2 main liquid pathways each having an entrance connected to the first liquid port and an exit, wherein it further comprises N/2 secondary liquid pathways comprising: • two extremities each opening on one of the N second liquid ports, and • a mid portion connected to the exit of one of the main liquid pathways; and wherein the main liquid pathways and the secondary liquid pathways define N liquid flow paths between the first liquid port and the N second liquid ports and are dimensioned so that a pressure drop between the first liquid port and each of the N second liquid ports is similar.