Medical Delivery System Locking Ring L-Shaped Grooves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medication delivery systems lack a robust and intuitive coding system that prevents cross-use of incompatible containers and dosing assemblies, leading to potential safety issues and complexity in user operation.
Innovation Solution
A medical delivery system featuring a container and dosing assembly with a rotatable element and groove/tongue arrangement that provides a rotational lock, allowing for easy and secure fastening through a pure translational movement, while varying geometries ensure compatibility and prevent incorrect attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical coding system with protrusions and grooves is used to prevent cross-use of containers and dosing assemblies, then compatibility control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric L-shaped grooves in the rotatable element that can only engage with corresponding asymmetric protrusions on the container flange. This asymmetric geometry ensures that only containers with matching codes can be attached, providing reliable compatibility control while maintaining relatively simple device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The coding system is segmented into multiple discrete L-shaped grooves, each representing a different code configuration. By dividing the coding function into separate geometric features rather than using a complex integrated mechanism, the system achieves reliable compatibility control with simpler individual components.
2Ease of operation
If a rotatable element with L-shaped grooves is used for fastening, then ease of operation is improved through intuitive rotational movement, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static fastening operation into a dynamic rotational movement. The L-shaped grooves guide the protrusions through a rotational path, converting a simple push action into an intuitive twist-and-lock motion that is easier to operate and provides tactile feedback, while the rotational element itself remains a simple geometric feature.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a rotational dimension to the fastening operation. Instead of linear insertion only, the L-shaped grooves enable angular movement, creating a two-dimensional fastening path (radial insertion plus rotational locking) that improves ease of operation while adding minimal structural complexity.
3Reliability
If multiple coding geometries are provided to prevent cross-use, then reliability is improved, but the number of parts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The L-shaped groove geometry serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for the rotatable element, defines the coding pattern through its orientation and position, and guides the locking motion. This multi-functionality allows reliable cross-use prevention without requiring separate components for each coding feature.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the coding features into a single integrated rotatable element rather than using separate coding components. Multiple L-shaped grooves are combined in one element, each groove's position and orientation encoding specific compatibility information, reducing the total number of parts while maintaining reliable cross-use prevention.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical delivery system comprising a container which is adapted to be fastened to a dosing assembly. One of the container and the dosing assembly comprises a rotatable element adapted to cooperate with the other one of the container and the dosing assembly, so as to lock/fasten the container to the dosing assembly. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a container and a dosing assembly for use in the medical delivery system.