Medicament Delivery Device Planar Wearable Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medicament delivery devices, such as auto-injectors, can be difficult for users with reduced manual dexterity to operate, especially when delivering high volumes or viscous medicaments, and often require additional steps to prepare, compromising sterility and increasing complexity.
Innovation Solution
A medicament delivery device with a cartridge and cannula system that includes a hub and spring mechanism for automatic connection, allowing for a low-profile, wearable design with a large contact face and optional mixing capabilities for reconstituting freeze-dried medicaments, simplifying the operation by integrating connection and mixing steps into a single user action.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a linear arrangement of device components is used in auto-injectors, then the device can deliver medicament through needle insertion, but the distal end must be held firmly in contact with the injection site during operation, which is difficult for users with reduced manual dexterity and increases operation complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a linear arrangement (needle axis perpendicular to contact face) to a planar arrangement (needle axis parallel to contact face). This dimensional change allows the device to be placed flat against the skin with a large contact area, eliminating the need for firm distal end contact while maintaining injection functionality. The low-profile wearable design with contact face area significantly improved for users with reduced manual dexterity.
2Reliability
If additional preparation steps are added to establish flow path between medicament container and needle, then sterility can be maintained, but user effort and operation complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device pre-establishes a sterile-sealed connection between the medicament container and needle hub before use. The flow path is sealed and ready in advance, requiring no additional preparation steps from the user. The connector is pre-attached to the needle hub in a sterile manner, and the medicament container is pre-sealed, eliminating complex user preparation while maintaining sterility throughout the process.
3Productivity
If the device is designed to deliver high volumes or viscous medicaments over long time periods, then therapeutic effectiveness is improved, but the requirement for firm contact and perpendicular positioning becomes more problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the device orientation from perpendicular to skin surface to parallel placement on the skin surface. This allows the entire device to be supported by a large contact face area distributed across the skin, rather than relying on distal end contact. The low-profile design with extended surface area provides stable positioning during long-duration infusions of high-volume or viscous medicaments without requiring precise perpendicular alignment.
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
The device ensures sterility and ease of use by maintaining medicament sealing until activation, reducing user effort and complexity, and enabling efficient delivery of both liquid and reconstituted medicaments with improved comfort and safety.
Implementation Method 1
spring means for driving relative movement between the hub and the cartridge upon operation of an operating member of the device
Data Source
AI summary
A medicament delivery device (100) for delivery of medicament from a cartridge (10) into an injection site, through a cannula (134). The cartridge has a medicament chamber (14) with an outlet (15), and a sealing element (16) for closing the outlet (15). The device has a housing (102) for receiving the cartridge (10), and a drive mechanism (200) to expel the medicament from the device upon activation of the drive mechanism (200). The device has a connection arrangement (199) comprising a hub (166) and spring means (184) for driving relative movement between the hub (166) and the cartridge (10) upon operation of an operating member (190). The operating member switches the connection arrangement (199) from an unconnected configuration to a connected configuration, in which the hub (166) cooperates with the cartridge (10) to open the outlet (15). When connected, fluid may flow between the chamber (14) and the cannula (134).