Medical Device Insertion with Recyclable Housing and Safe Ejection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical device insertion systems face challenges in balancing sustainability and user convenience, with reusable designs increasing production and handling effort while disposable designs generate significant waste.
Innovation Solution
A medical device insertion system featuring a recyclable or biodegradable inserter housing with an ejection mechanism to safely separate sharp and contaminated parts after use, ensuring easy handling and reduced environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If a reusable insertion device is used, then waste is reduced and sustainability is improved, but production effort and handling complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The insertion device is divided into separable components: a reusable inserter housing and a disposable cartridge containing the needle and sensor. This segmentation allows the complex needle assembly to be discarded after use while the housing can be reused, balancing waste reduction with simplified handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle and sensor cartridge is designed as a disposable component that is discarded after a single use. This eliminates the need for complex sterilization and handling procedures for the critical sharp components, reducing both waste of expensive materials and handling complexity.
2Ease of operation
If a disposable insertion device is used, then handling effort is reduced and convenience is improved, but waste and disposal effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the device into a reusable housing and disposable cartridge, the system maintains the handling convenience of disposable devices while reducing waste through reuse of the housing component.
Solution Approach 2:
The reusable inserter housing can accommodate multiple different cartridges through a universal interface design, allowing one housing to perform multiple insertion functions over time, thereby reducing overall waste while maintaining ease of operation.
3Device complexity
If sharp parts are not encapsulated after use, then device complexity is reduced, but safety and risk of accidental contact increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sharp needle is extracted and isolated within a separate disposable cartridge that is discarded after use. This removes the harmful sharp component from the reusable system while maintaining overall structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle is nested within the cartridge housing, which itself is placed within the inserter housing during use. This nested structure provides inherent encapsulation and safety while adding minimal complexity to the overall device.
Data Source
AI summary
An insertion device for inserting a medical device into a subject is disclosed. The insertion device has a chamber for receiving the medical device, an insertion tool for inserting an insertable portion of the medical device, an insertion mechanism, a retraction mechanism for retracting the insertion tool from the subject after insertion, a retaining mechanism for retaining the insertion tool in an end position after retraction, an inner housing having the retaining mechanism and the retracted insertion tool in the end position, an inserter housing having the insertion mechanism as well as a chamber for receiving the inner housing. The inserter housing is formed of recyclable or biodegradable or compostable material, the insertion device has an ejection mechanism to remove the inner housing from the chamber when the insertion tool is retrained within the inner housing by the retaining mechanism, and the ejection mechanism is activatable by the user.