Integrated Needle-Cannula Instrument for Subcutaneous Medicament Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drug delivery devices face challenges such as labor-intensive assembly, difficulty in maintaining a seal between the needle and cannula, and occupy excessive space, leading to higher insertion angles and discomfort for the user.
Innovation Solution
A medicament delivery device featuring a single instrument with a cylindrical body and piercing element that softens upon subcutaneous exposure, utilizing materials like PTFE or shape memory alloys to reduce complexity and discomfort, and incorporating dissolvable coatings for enhanced comfort and reduced volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a separate needle and cannula arrangement is used, then the device can pierce skin and deliver medicament, but the assembly becomes labor-intensive and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the needle and cannula into a single integrated instrument where the piercing element and medicament delivery element form one unified structure. This eliminates the need for separate assembly of needle and cannula components, directly resolving the labor-intensive assembly issue while reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The single instrument performs multiple functions: it serves as both the piercing element (needle) and the medicament delivery element (cannula). The instrument penetrates skin, positions itself subcutaneously, and delivers medicament through its inner lumen, consolidating what were previously separate component functions into one universal device.
2Reliability
If a separate needle and cannula arrangement is used, then the device can deliver medicament, but maintaining a seal between components becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the needle and cannula into a single instrument with an integrated structure where the piercing element is positioned within the medicament delivery element, the patent eliminates the interface between separate components. This removes the sealing problem entirely, as there is no junction between needle and cannula where seals could fail, while maintaining reliable medicament delivery.
3Volume of moving object
If a separate needle and cannula arrangement is used, then the device can pierce skin and deliver medicament, but the device occupies excessive space
Solution Approach 1:
The integration of needle and cannula functions into a single instrument significantly reduces the volume occupied by the piercing and delivery components. This compact design allows for more acute insertion angles and better positioning under the skin, improving ease of operation while minimizing device volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The piercing element is nested within the medicament delivery element, with the piercing element positioned inside the inner lumen of the delivery element. This nested configuration minimizes the external dimensions of the instrument while maintaining both piercing and delivery capabilities, directly addressing the space occupation issue.
4Ease of operation
If a separate needle and cannula arrangement is used, then the device can deliver medicament, but the needle must be retracted after use
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the needle and cannula into a single instrument, the patent eliminates the need for separate retraction mechanisms. The entire instrument can be removed as one unit after medicament delivery, simplifying the operation and eliminating the complexity of coordinated retraction of multiple components.
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
The solution simplifies assembly, reduces discomfort, and allows for more comfortable subcutaneous placement, while minimizing device volume and eliminating the need for separate needles and cannulas, thereby improving user experience and device efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The cannula 102 may be formed of a pliable material, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) that softens when exposed to body fluids and/or heat.
Implementation Method 2
The one or more activatable elements may include at least one shape memory alloy component that becomes rigid when electricity is applied to the at least one shape memory alloy component.
Data Source
AI summary
Exemplary embodiments may provide a medicament delivery device that includes a single instrument for piercing the skin of the user and for acting as a conduit for delivering medicament to the user subcutaneously. The exemplary embodiments may reduce discomfort caused by a rigid cannula or needle. The exemplary embodiments may provide instruments that are configured to be comfortable to the user when the instruments are in place beneath the skin of the user, such as when a medicament delivery device is delivering medicament to the user.