Medicament Container Carrier With Adapter-Based Dose Flexibility

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional medicament delivery devices are limited by the size and shape of their carriers, requiring separate devices for different dosage amounts, leading to increased costs and inconsistency in medicament administration.

Innovation Solution

A medicament container carrier with an adapter that can accommodate medicament containers of varying sizes, ensuring secure retention and alignment through resilient arms and abutment surfaces, allowing a single device to administer different doses.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If a larger carrier is used to accommodate a larger medicament container, then the dose capacity is increased, but the device size and shape are changed, requiring entirely different delivery devices for different dosage amounts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemedicament dose capacityVSAvoiddevice compatibility across dosage amounts

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system is divided into two independent parts: a carrier that remains constant and an adapter that varies. The adapter can be detached and replaced to accommodate different medicament container sizes, allowing the same carrier to work with different dosage amounts without changing the overall device architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The adapter acts as an intermediary component between the carrier and the medicament container. It translates the fixed carrier interface into variable interfaces that match different container sizes and shapes, enabling a single carrier to support multiple container types through the intermediate adapter layer.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If a fixed carrier design is used, then the device structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate medicament containers of various sizes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecarrier structure simplicityVSAvoidcontainer size accommodation

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system separates the fixed carrier structure from the variable container interface through the adapter. The carrier itself remains simple and unchanged, while the adapter handles the complexity of accommodating different container sizes. This segmentation allows the carrier to maintain structural simplicity while the system as a whole achieves versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The carrier is designed with universal functionality to work with multiple container types through the adapter interface. The carrier's standardized interface allows it to be combined with different adapters, making the carrier itself universal rather than dedicated to a single container size, thereby achieving multi-functionality without increasing carrier complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Quantity of substance

If separate delivery devices are used for different dosage amounts, then each device is optimized for its specific dose, but device costs increase and administration consistency varies

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedosage amount specificityVSAvoiddevice production and cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

A single carrier design serves multiple dosage amounts by combining it with different adapters. This universal carrier approach eliminates the need to manufacture separate delivery devices for each dosage level, reducing production costs and simplifying manufacturing while maintaining dosage specificity through the adapter variations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of discarding the entire delivery device when needing a different dosage, only the adapter component is replaced while the main carrier is recovered and reused. This partial replacement strategy reduces waste and manufacturing costs compared to producing entirely new devices for each dosage amount.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

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 the use of a common medicament delivery device for various container sizes, reducing device costs and ensuring consistent administration while minimizing needle distortion and axial displacement risks.

Implementation Method 1

The arm includes a first ramp adapted to engage a distal face of a flange to deflect the arm in a first radial direction

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

The arm includes a first abutment surface adapted to engage the flange to prevent rotation of the second medicament container relative to the adapter and a second abutment surface adapted to engage the flange to prevent axial displacement

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentUS12370310B2Medicament container carrier and adapter

Publication Date: 2025.07.29 SANOFI AVENTIS DEUT GMBH

AI summary

Described is a medicament container carrier adapted to hold a first medicament container having a first predetermined size and capable of containing more than a first volume of a medicament. The container carrier comprises a body, and an adapter coupled to the body. The adapter is adapted to hold a second medicament container having a second predetermined size different from the first predetermined size and capable of containing no more than the first volume of the medicament.