Single-Site Insertion Assembly for Curved-Path Medical Device Separation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical devices for delivering medication and monitoring physiological characteristics often require separate insertion sites, leading to interference and increased patient discomfort due to multiple punctures.
Innovation Solution
A single insertion device that concurrently inserts a first medical device, such as a fluid delivery cannula, and a second medical device, such as an analyte sensor, through a curved path to minimize interference and discomfort by ensuring the distal ends of both devices are displaced from each other within the patient.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate insertion sites are used for medication delivery and physiological monitoring, then interference between devices is avoided, but patient discomfort increases and mobility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple medical devices (fluid delivery cannula and analyte sensor) into a single integrated insertion assembly that delivers both devices through one insertion site. The cannula and sensor are mounted on a common hub that is inserted through a single needle puncture, eliminating the need for separate insertion sites and reducing patient discomfort while maintaining device independence through spatial separation within the tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent resolves the spatial conflict between devices by transitioning from a two-dimensional surface approach (separate skin punctures) to a three-dimensional subsurface approach (devices positioned at different depths and orientations within the same insertion tract). The curved path of the second device and its increasing displacement from the first device create vertical and angular separation, allowing both devices to coexist without interference.
2Reliability
If multiple devices are inserted through separate sites, then device functionality is maintained, but insertion complexity and patient burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the insertion operations for multiple devices into a single coordinated action. The hub-and-spoke configuration allows the cannula and sensor to be inserted simultaneously through one needle puncture, reducing the number of procedural steps and patient exposures while maintaining the functional independence of each device through separate delivery canals and mounting structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The insertion assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it delivers the fluid delivery device, delivers the analyte sensor, and positions both devices at appropriate locations within the tissue. The single needle puncture and hub structure perform the roles of multiple separate insertion mechanisms, simplifying the overall procedure while maintaining device-specific functionality.
3Ease of operation
If devices are positioned close together at the same site, then insertion simplicity is improved, but device interference occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates device interference by utilizing three-dimensional spatial separation within the insertion tract. The second device follows a curved path that increases its displacement from the first device as it is inserted, creating vertical and angular separation that prevents interaction between the fluid delivery cannula and analyte sensor while maintaining a single insertion site.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different positioning characteristics to different devices within the same insertion assembly. The first device (cannula) and second device (sensor) are mounted on the hub at different orientations and depths, with the second device's curved insertion path ensuring it occupies a different local space. This differential positioning allows both devices to coexist without interference while maintaining insertion simplicity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
In some embodiments, an apparatus may comprise a first insertion needle and a second insertion needle. The first insertion needle may be configured to carry a first medical device (e.g., a sensor) through an opening in an apparatus housing. The second insertion needle may be configured to carry a second medical device (e.g., a cannula) along a curved path that passes through the opening in the apparatus housing such that a distal end of the first medical device becomes increasingly displaced from the distal end of the second medical device as the distal end of the second medical device is carried along the curved path.