Insulin Pen Extractor With Needle-Cap Fluid Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals with Type 2 diabetes face the risk of wasting residual insulin in used insulin pens due to the inability to access and reuse the remaining medication, leading to unnecessary costs and waste.
Innovation Solution
An extractor system comprising a syringe, a first cap with a hypodermic needle, and a second cap that fluidically connects to the syringe, allowing extraction of residual insulin from insulin pens by piercing the pen's seal and transferring the medication into the syringe.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If insulin pens are designed with sealed closures to maintain medication integrity, then reliability is improved, but the ability to access residual medication is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate functional components: a first cap for attaching to the syringe, a second cap for attaching to the insulin pen, and a hypodermic needle connecting them. This segmentation allows the needle to pierce the sealed closure and create a fluid pathway without compromising the overall integrity of the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The hypodermic needle acts as an intermediary element that bridges the sealed insulin pen and the syringe. It pierces the closure to establish fluid communication while the caps serve as intermediary coupling mechanisms that connect the needle to both devices without direct contact between the syringe and pen.
2Ease of manufacture
If insulin is sold in fixed packaging units, then manufacturing and distribution are simplified, but waste increases when residual insulin cannot be reused
Solution Approach 1:
The device enables recovery of residual insulin that would otherwise be discarded. By providing a mechanism to extract remaining medication from used pens, it transforms what would be waste into reusable medication, directly addressing the loss of substance problem while maintaining compatibility with standard insulin pen packaging.
3Ease of operation
If a simple extraction device is used, then ease of operation is improved, but fluidic connection reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The first cap and second cap are nested together with the hypodermic needle extending through both. The needle passes through the closed end of the second cap and protrudes into its internal cavity, creating a nested structure that ensures proper alignment and secure fluidic connection while maintaining a compact, easy-to-operate design.
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 the recovery of residual insulin, reducing waste and costs associated with insulin use by allowing reuse of the remaining medication.
Implementation Method 1
The hypodermic needle extends through the closed end of the second cap and protrudes into an internal cavity of the second cap such that an internal cavity of the first cap fluidically communicates with the internal cavity of the second cap through an internal lumen of the hypodermic needle
Data Source
AI summary
Extractors and methods of extracting a medication from another medical device, such as an insulin pen. The extractor includes a syringe, a first cap having an open end adapted to be coupled to the syringe, a hypodermic needle protruding from a closed end of the first cap, and a second cap coupled at a closed end thereof to the first cap by the hypodermic needle, which extends through the closed end of the second cap and protrudes into an internal cavity of the second cap such that an internal cavity of the first cap fluidically communicates with the internal cavity of the second cap through the hypodermic needle. An open end of the second cap can be coupled to the medical device so that the internal cavity of the second cap fluidically communicates with the medical device through the hypodermic needle.