Medicament Delivery Device for Sequential Multi-Dose Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Some users experience discomfort during medicament delivery, leading to premature removal of auto-injector devices, resulting in incomplete doses and potential leakage, especially with large or prolonged doses.
Innovation Solution
A medicament delivery device with a ratchet mechanism that allows for sequential actuation to dispense multiple doses, featuring a needle cover that moves between extended and retracted positions, and a ratchet shuttle with engagement elements to control medicament dispensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the medicament is delivered over a long period of time to ensure complete dose delivery, then the completeness of dose delivery is improved, but user discomfort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the medicament delivery into multiple discrete doses using a ratchet mechanism with sequential configurations. Each actuation of the actuation member advances the ratchet mechanism to the next configuration, delivering one dose at a time. This segmentation allows the total medicament amount to be administered in controlled intervals, reducing the discomfort associated with continuous prolonged delivery while ensuring complete dose delivery through multiple discrete administrations.
2Reliability
If the user holds the needle cover in position for a predetermined period to ensure complete dose dispensing, then the completeness of dose delivery is improved, but the risk of premature removal increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ratchet mechanism is designed to automatically advance through its configurations upon each actuation of the actuation member, autonomously controlling the sequential delivery of multiple doses. This self-advancing mechanism eliminates the need for the user to manually time or monitor the delivery process, reducing the cognitive burden and potential for user error while ensuring complete dose dispensing through automatic progression through all ratchet configurations.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the device is removed from the injection site prematurely due to user discomfort, then user comfort is improved, but the dose completeness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the total medicament delivery into multiple discrete doses administered through sequential ratchet configurations, the patent enables flexible dosing schedules. Users can receive complete therapeutic doses through multiple shorter administration sessions rather than one prolonged session, improving comfort while maintaining dose completeness. The segmented approach allows the full therapeutic effect to be achieved through cumulative dosing.
4Productivity
If a single large dose is delivered to reduce the number of administrations, then the number of administrations is reduced, but user discomfort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments a large total dose into multiple smaller discrete doses delivered through sequential actuations of the actuation member. Each actuation advances the ratchet mechanism to the next configuration, delivering one controlled dose. This segmentation maintains productivity by keeping all doses in a single device while reducing the discomfort associated with large single-dose administrations, allowing users to receive the complete therapeutic effect through multiple manageable doses.
Data Source
AI summary
A medicament delivery device includes: a body; a needle cover axially movable between an extended position and a retracted position; a medicament delivery mechanism including a plunger and a drive member configured to move the plunger to dispense a medicament; an actuation member configured to be actuated relative to the body; and a ratchet mechanism coupled to the medicament delivery mechanism and sequentially movable between a first configuration, second configuration and third configuration, wherein the actuation member and ratchet mechanism are arranged such that: a first actuation of the actuation member moves the ratchet mechanism from the first configuration to the second configuration to cause a first dose of the medicament to be dispensed, and a second actuation of the actuation member, subsequent to the first actuation, moves the ratchet mechanism from the second configuration to the third configuration to cause a second dose of the medicament to be dispensed.