Injection Stopper Membrane Sealing for High-Viscosity Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical injection devices face challenges in easily injecting high-viscosity compositions, causing user strain and repetitive injuries, and suffer from mixing of contents due to inadequate sealing and dead volume issues, leading to inaccuracies and waste.
Innovation Solution
A stopper design featuring a gasket and insert that transitions between closed and open configurations, ensuring optimal sealing and minimizing dead volume, allowing easy injection of high-viscosity compositions without mixing, using a deformable membrane and fluidic pathways.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a small diameter opening is used in the mobile diaphragm to prevent mixing of solutions, then sealing between chambers is improved, but injection of high-viscosity solutions becomes difficult requiring excessive force
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper is divided into multiple functional elements: a plunger stopper for pushing the first solution, a mobile diaphragm with a small opening for maintaining sealing, and a second stopper with a larger opening for injecting the second high-viscosity solution. This segmentation allows each component to have optimized dimensions for its specific function, resolving the contradiction between small opening sealing and easy injection of viscous solutions.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile diaphragm acts as an intermediary element between the two chambers. It maintains the seal during storage and after first solution injection, then allows controlled passage of the second solution when needed. The presence of this intermediary enables the system to maintain both small opening sealing and facilitate viscous solution injection through coordinated action of multiple stoppers.
2Reliability
If a plug with flanges and eccentric protrusion is used to separate chambers, then chamber separation is achieved, but user effort increases and sealing reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single complex plug with flanges and eccentric protrusions, the invention segments the separation function across multiple simpler components: the mobile diaphragm provides the primary separation barrier, while the second stopper provides the injection pathway. This eliminates the need for complex mechanical features like flanges and eccentric protrusions, reducing user effort while maintaining reliable chamber separation.
3Device complexity
If a traditional stopper design is used, then simple structure is maintained, but dead volume increases leading to injection inaccuracies and waste
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile diaphragm is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to shift position during the injection process. This dynamic behavior enables the diaphragm to be pushed forward by the first solution and then allow the second solution to pass through, effectively reducing the dead volume in the first chamber while maintaining a simple overall structure without complex mechanical mechanisms.
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
Facilitates easy injection of high-viscosity compositions with reduced user effort, prevents mixing of contents, and minimizes dead volume, enhancing precision and reducing waste.
Implementation Method 1
under a positive difference of pressure between the composition situated proximally from the proximal end of the gasket and a fluid present distally from the distal end of the gasket
Implementation Method 2
the membrane deforms toward the cavity
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a stopper configured to be positioned inside a barrel of an injection device for injecting at least one composition, said stopper including: a gasket including a proximal end, a distal end, a lateral wall, and a through hole extending from the proximal end to the distal end, an insert inserted in the through hole, wherein the stopper is adapted to deform between: a closed configuration wherein the gasket cooperates with the insert to hermetically close the through hole, for preventing flow of the composition between the proximal end and the distal end of the gasket, and an open configuration wherein the gasket cooperates with the insert to open a fluidic pathway in the through hole between the proximal end and the distal end of the gasket for allowing flow of the composition.