Lock Out Member with Varying Cross Sections for Medicament Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices face challenges in delivering multiple drug agents simultaneously in a single injection step without complex user manipulations and ensuring the quality and safety of medicaments by preventing contamination and environmental influences.
Innovation Solution
A medical device with a lock out member that prevents reattachment of the dispense interface after initial removal, using a conductive lock out member with varying cross-sectional areas to measure resistance for temperature monitoring, ensuring proper attachment and maintaining medicament quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a lock out mechanism is implemented to prevent reattachment of the dispense interface, then the safety and quality assurance of medicaments is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lock out member combines multiple functions into a single component: it acts as both a mechanical lock to prevent reattachment and a temperature sensor through its conductive material with varying cross-sectional areas. This merging reduces the need for separate safety mechanisms and temperature monitoring devices, thereby improving reliability while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The lock out member serves multiple purposes: mechanical locking to prevent contamination, temperature monitoring through resistance measurement, and potential identification of the dispense interface. This multi-functionality allows a single component to address multiple safety and quality concerns, improving reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Measurement precision
If the lock out member has varying cross-sectional areas for resistance-based temperature monitoring, then the temperature monitoring capability is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The lock out member features varying cross-sectional areas at specific locations along its length, creating localized regions with different electrical resistances. These local variations are strategically positioned to provide temperature monitoring capability without requiring the entire component to be manufactured with high precision. The local quality changes enable temperature measurement while keeping overall manufacturing requirements manageable.
3Productivity
If multiple drug agents are delivered simultaneously in a single injection, then the productivity and user convenience are improved, but the risk of contamination and environmental degradation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lock out mechanism is activated in advance when the dispense interface is initially attached to the cartridge holder, preventing any subsequent reattachment. This preliminary action ensures that the sealed environment is established before drug delivery begins, protecting against contamination and environmental degradation while enabling efficient simultaneous delivery of multiple drug agents.
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 simultaneous delivery of multiple drug agents in a single injection step with reduced user effort and ensures the quality and safety of medicaments by preventing contamination and environmental degradation through effective temperature monitoring.
Implementation Method 1
said lock out member has at least a first area with a first cross-sectional area, wherein said lock out member has at least a second area having a second cross-sectional area smaller than the first cross-sectional area, such that an electric resistance is defined between opposite ends of the lockout member and wherein said lock out member, at least in the at least one second area, is made of a conductive material
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus is presented comprising a lock out member configured to be implemented into a medical device, in particular a dispense interface, attachable to a second medical device, in particular a main body, wherein said lock out member is configured to prevent a second attachment of said medical device to said second medical device, wherein said lock out member has at least a first area with a first cross-sectional area, wherein said lock out member has at least a second area having a second cross-sectional area smaller than the first cross-sectional area, such that an electric resistance is defined between opposite ends of the lockout member and wherein said lock out member, at least in the second area, is made of a conductive material.