Medicament Delivery Manifold Release Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medicament delivery devices for inhaled drug therapies involving chemically unstable dry powder formulations require complex mechanisms with many mechanical parts, leading to increased production costs and vulnerability of medicament doses to spilling during use.
Innovation Solution
A medicament delivery device with a manifold featuring an opening mechanism using a release member and cylindrical indexing wheel to sequentially expose medicament compartments, along with a tensioning mechanism to regulate the sealing layer tension, ensuring precise and secure delivery of separate formulations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a peeling mechanism is used to separate the sealing layer from the carrier strip, then the medicament dose can be exposed for aerosolisation, but the device becomes more complex requiring separate handling, spooling and tensioning of multiple components
Solution Approach 1:
The release member is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it separates the sealing layer from the carrier strip, contains the exposed medicament dose, and forms part of the aerosolisation airpath. This merging of functions reduces the number of separate components needed while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The release member serves as a multi-functional component that handles sealing layer separation, medicament containment, and airpath formation. By making this single component universal for multiple purposes, the device complexity is reduced while still achieving the peeling mechanism's objectives.
2Device complexity
If the exposed medicament doses are vulnerable to spilling, then the device can be simpler, but the medicament delivery accuracy decreases and formulation stability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The release member combines the containment function with the separation function. By integrating the medicament dose containment into the same component that separates the sealing layer, the design maintains simplicity while ensuring reliability through the cover surface that prevents spilling.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover surface of the release member acts as an intermediary barrier between the exposed medicament dose and the external environment. This intermediary structure prevents direct exposure to spilling risks while still allowing controlled aerosolisation through the airpath.
3Stability of the object's composition
If two medicament carriers are used for chemically unstable formulations, then formulation stability is maintained, but the device requires six components to be controlled and coordinated
Solution Approach 1:
The release member is designed to handle both medicament carriers simultaneously, merging the separation and containment functions for both formulations into a single integrated mechanism. This reduces the effective number of components that need to be coordinated while maintaining formulation stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The release member serves as a universal component that can separate and contain medicament from either of the two carriers. By making this component multi-functional for both formulations, the device reduces the total component count while still supporting chemically unstable formulations that require separate storage.
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 device simplifies the delivery process, reduces production complexity, and minimizes medicament loss by ensuring accurate and secure exposure of medicament doses, enhancing user adherence to dosing regimens while maintaining formulation stability.
Implementation Method 1
a release member arranged to engage between the carrier strip and the sealing layer of a medicament carrier so as to separate the sealing layer from the carrier strip
Implementation Method 2
the release member includes a surface configured to cover the opened compartment when in the entrainment position so as substantially to contain the medicament dose
Implementation Method 3
the opened compartment is positioned adjacent to the release member such that air can be directed through the opened compartment to entrain the medicament dose
Data Source
AI summary
A manifold for a medicament delivery device configured to deliver discrete doses of medicament contained in a plurality of individual compartments spaced along a carrier strip and sealed by a sealing layer to form a medicament carrier, the manifold comprising: at least one opening mechanism comprising a release member arranged to engage between the carrier strip and the sealing layer of a medicament carrier so as to separate the sealing layer from the carrier strip and thereby open a compartment of the medicament carrier as it is advanced into an entrainment position; wherein the release member includes a surface configured to cover the opened compartment when in the entrainment position so as substantially to contain the medicament dose of the opened compartment.