Injector Device Plunger Rod Indicator Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current injector devices lack effective visual and tactile feedback mechanisms to inform users about the progress of the injection process, making it difficult for users to accurately monitor the injection status.
Innovation Solution
The injector device features a housing with a proximal indicator that includes a spindle with a rotating dial and threaded arrangements, providing visual and tactile feedback through a display window and surface formations, allowing users to track the longitudinal position of the plunger rod and the progress of the injection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If no indicator mechanism is provided, then the device structure remains simple, but users cannot monitor the injection progress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism through an indicator that provides real-time visual information about injection progress. The indicator includes a display window showing the plunger rod position and an indication element that changes appearance based on injection status, allowing users to monitor the process without adding complex electronic components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary optical system including a display window and indication element that mediates between the plunger rod position and user perception. This intermediary mechanism translates internal mechanical position into visible external indicators without requiring direct user interaction with the plunger rod.
2Measurement precision
If a detailed indicator mechanism is added, then injection progress can be monitored, but the device becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The indicator mechanism serves multiple functions: it displays plunger rod position, indicates injection progress percentage, and provides visual feedback for injection status. By combining these functions into a single integrated indicator assembly, the patent achieves precise measurement without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent concentrates the indicator components (display window, indication element, optical elements) in a localized region of the housing rather than distributing them throughout the device. This local concentration provides precise measurement information while minimizing the overall space and complexity required.
3Device complexity
If the projection obscures the indication element, then the indicator is compact, but user visibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a dynamic visual effect where the plunger rod projection moves relative to the indication element during injection. As the plunger rod advances, the projection progressively reveals or obscures portions of the indication element, providing continuous visual feedback while maintaining a compact indicator structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the longitudinal dimension of plunger rod movement to control the visibility of the indication element. Instead of using radial or lateral mechanisms to reveal information, the system leverages the axial movement of the plunger rod to progressively disclose the indication element, adding a temporal dimension to the visual feedback.
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
This solution enhances user interaction by providing clear visual and tactile feedback, ensuring accurate monitoring of the injection process and improving user confidence and safety during medicament delivery.
Implementation Method 1
The shaft of the spindle may comprise a threaded arrangement configured to engage with a threaded arrangement on the plunger rod such that longitudinal movement of the plunger rod from the primed position towards the completed position is configured to cause the dial of the spindle to rotate.
Data Source
AI summary
An injector device comprising an elongate housing having a proximal end and a distal end, and configured to receive a container of medicament, a plunger rod moveable longitudinally within the housing between a primed position and a completed position, the plunger rod being configured to be engageable with a container of medicament. The housing comprises an indicator located in a proximal region of the housing. The indicator comprises a display window located in the proximal region of a side wall of the housing, a projection proximally extending from the plunger rod. The projection is coupled to the plunger rod and is visible through the display window in the primed position. The projection is configured to move between a first indicating position and a second indicating position to provide a user with information associated with a progress of an injection process dependent upon the longitudinal position of the plunger rod.