Injector Shield Holder Mechanism for Safe Reusable Autoinjectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autoinjectors face issues with high environmental impact due to single-use design and inadequate protection against needlestick injuries, as well as user inconvenience from misplaced or lost needle shields.
Innovation Solution
A mechanism for receiving an injector with a needle and needle shield, featuring a shield holder movable between aligned and offset positions, and a rotator for securely holding the needle shield during and after medicament delivery, allowing multiple uses without electronic assistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single-use autoinjector design is used, then user safety and simplicity are improved, but environmental impact worsens due to waste
Solution Approach 1:
The needle shield holder is designed to be dynamically movable between a first position (covering the needle during storage) and a second position (offset from the needle during use). This dynamic repositioning allows the same device to safely protect the needle during storage while enabling needle exposure for injection, thus supporting reusable design without compromising safety
Solution Approach 2:
The device is segmented into distinct functional components: the injector, the movable needle shield holder, and the rotator mechanism. This segmentation allows the needle shield to be independently manipulated and repositioned, enabling the injector to be reused multiple times while maintaining safety protocols
2Loss of substance
If a multiple-use autoinjector is used, then environmental impact is improved through reusability, but protection against needlestick injuries worsens due to inadequate needle shield protection
Solution Approach 1:
The needle shield is pre-positioned in the first position to cover and protect the needle during storage and handling. The rotator mechanism enables preliminary action by allowing the user to rotate the holder from the protective first position to the exposed second position before injection, ensuring safety protocols are maintained even in reusable devices
Solution Approach 2:
The rotator mechanism acts as an intermediary between the user's manual input and the needle shield positioning. By requiring a deliberate rotation action, it provides a mechanical intermediary step that ensures the needle shield is properly repositioned from the protective first position to the functional second position, reducing accidental needlestick injuries
3Ease of operation
If the needle shield is removable by the user, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability worsens due to loss or misplacement of the needle shield
Solution Approach 1:
The needle shield is merged with the rotatable holder assembly rather than being a separate removable component. The holder and shield move together as a unified structure that can be rotated into different positions. This merging ensures the shield cannot be lost or misplaced separately, while still allowing easy rotation for shield removal or repositioning
Solution Approach 2:
The needle shield holder is designed with dynamic rotational capability, allowing it to move between a first position (shield covering needle) and a second position (shield offset from needle). This dynamic design enables easy operation for shield repositioning while maintaining reliable retention of the shield on the device throughout the process
Data Source
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AI summary
A mechanism (10a, 10c) for receiving an injector (44) having a needle (46) and a needle shield (48) covering the needle (46), the mechanism (10a, 10c) comprising a housing (16) having an injector holder (54) for holding the injector (44); a shield holder (70) for holding the needle shield (48), the shield holder (70) being movable relative to the housing (16) between an aligned position (90) for holding the needle shield (48) aligned with the longitudinal axis (18), and an offset position (100) for holding the needle shield (48) offset from the longitudinal axis (18); and a rotator (64) rotatable around the longitudinal axis (18) from a first rotator position (88) to a second rotator position (102); wherein the mechanism (10a, 10c) is configured to cause a movement of the shield holder (70) from the aligned position (90) to the offset position (100) by means of a movement of the rotator (64) from the first rotator position (88) to the second rotator position (102).