Medicament Delivery Device Cap-Actuator Interlock
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medicament delivery devices are unreliable and prone to unintentional actuation, which can lead to unsafe and delayed medication administration, especially for unskilled users, due to the need for additional manual steps and lack of intuitive operation.
Innovation Solution
A medicament delivery device with a cap-actuator interlocking arrangement that prevents actuation until the protective cap is removed, utilizing a longitudinal actuator interlocking member and co-acting means to ensure the actuator can only be manually actuated when the cap is off, thereby preventing unintentional activation and simplifying the delivery process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a locking means is added to prevent unintentional actuation, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cap and actuator are merged into a single integrated unit where the cap serves dual functions: protecting the needle and preventing actuation. The interlocking mechanism combines the cap's protective function with the actuator's delivery function, creating a unified safety system that reduces overall device complexity while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap is pre-attached to the actuator in a locked state before use. This preliminary interlocking arrangement ensures that the actuator cannot be activated unless the cap is first removed, providing inherent safety without requiring additional complex locking mechanisms during the delivery process.
2Reliability
If a cover over the actuator button is added to prevent unintentional operation, then safety is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cap and actuator button are merged into an integrated interlocking system. Removing the cap automatically releases the actuator button, combining the protective function with the activation mechanism. This eliminates the need for separate cover removal and button pressing steps, maintaining ease of operation while ensuring safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap is pre-positioned to cover and lock the actuator button. The interlocking arrangement is pre-configured so that cap removal automatically enables button actuation, providing safety without requiring the user to perform additional manual steps to release a separate cover.
3Ease of operation
If the actuator is made manually actutable without cap removal, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is pre-attached to the actuator in a locked state that prevents accidental activation. The interlocking arrangement ensures the actuator remains inoperative until the cap is intentionally removed, providing reliability while maintaining ease of operation through the simple cap-removal action.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap serves as an intermediary element between the user and the actuator. It physically blocks and interlocks with the actuator mechanism, preventing unintentional activation while allowing intentional activation through cap removal. This intermediary provides a simple yet effective safety barrier.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Provided is a medicament delivery device (100) that is reliable, safe and intuitive to use and at the same time is easy to use when handling. This is achieved by a medicament delivery device (100) comprising a tubular housing (120, 130) having a proximal end (308) and an opposite distal end (309), an actuator member (1 10) being coaxially arranged at the distal end (309) of the tubular housing (120, 130) and movably arranged, in relation to the tubular housing (120, 130) and a cap (140) being releasably connected to the proximal end (308) of the tubular housing (120, 130) wherein the medicament device (100) further comprises a longitudinal actuator interlocking member (150) movably arranged within the tubular housing (120, 130) and interactively connected to both the actuator member (110) and to the cap (140) for controlling movement of the actuator member (110). Thus the cap (140) acts as a device enabler, i.e. it is impossible to actuate the medicament delivery device (100) until the cap (140) has been removed.