Inserter Base Part Locking Mechanism for Medical Device Assembly

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing medical devices for continuous administration of therapeutically active substances, such as insulin, face challenges in correctly positioning the penetrating member and inserter relative to the patient's skin, leading to risks of contamination, misplacement, and infection due to complex designs and incorrect positioning during assembly.

Innovation Solution

A medical assembly with an inserter and base part that includes locking attachment means with protruding parts and corresponding openings, allowing secure attachment before and during insertion, and automatic release mechanisms to prevent misplacement and contamination, ensuring correct positioning and easy detachment after insertion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the inserter and base part are designed with complex attachment mechanisms to ensure secure positioning, then the reliability of positioning is improved, but the device complexity increases and ease of manufacture deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidassembly structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The attachment means is divided into separate components: a protruding part integrated with the inserter and a corresponding opening integrated with the base part. This segmentation allows each component to be simple in structure while achieving reliable positioning when assembled together, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The attachment means integrates multiple functions into the base part and inserter structures themselves. The protruding part and opening serve both as positioning elements and as attachment mechanisms, eliminating the need for separate complex fastening systems and thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining positioning reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Stability of the object's composition

If the inserter remains attached to the base part during and after insertion, then positioning stability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in removing the inserter

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning stabilityVSAvoidinserter removal
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The attachment means transitions from a locked state during insertion to a releasable state after insertion. The protruding part engages with the opening to provide stability during the critical insertion phase, then can be easily disengaged by applying force in a direction that releases the attachment, enabling simple remover while maintaining stability when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If manual insertion of the penetrating member is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the positioning precision deteriorates leading to misplacement risks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinsertion mechanismVSAvoidpenetrating member positioning
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The attachment means acts as an intermediary mechanism between the inserter and base part. It provides precise positioning guidance during insertion through the geometric constraint of the protruding part fitting into the opening, ensuring accurate penetrating member placement without requiring complex active control systems, thus maintaining simplicity while improving precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2259815B1Assembly comprising inserter, cannula part and base part
Publication Date: 2019.06.26 UNOMEDICAL AS
  • EP2259815B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2259815B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2259815B1 patent drawingFigure 5A~5C

AI summary

The invention relates to an assembly comprising - an inserter (10) for insertion of a penetrating member (7) into a patient, - a penetrating member attached to the inserter (10) before use, - a base part comprises a position shaped to receive the penetrating member where the penetrating member can be attached to the base part during use and fastening means (2) which can provide for the base part to be attached to the patient, where the inserter (10) comprises inserter attachment means (14) locking the inserter (10) to the base part before and during insertion of the penetrating member (7) which inserter attachment means can be unlocked so that the inserted can be removed from the base part after insertion of the penetrating member (7), the inserter attachment means comprise at least one protruding part and at least one corresponding opening. Either the at least one protruding part or the at least one corresponding opening part is positioned on a surface of the base part and a corresponding part either comprising a protruding part or an opening is positioned on a surface of the inserter.