Two Piece Medication Cassette Closure for Ambulatory Infusion Pumps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ambulatory infusion pump cassettes are limited in medication capacity, require multiple units for larger treatments, and pose difficulties in accessing and removing air bubbles from medication bags due to ultrasonic sealing, making them inconvenient and unsafe.
Innovation Solution
A tamper-resistant, multi-piece medical cassette design with a pressure plate and cover assembly that allows for easy assembly and disassembly without tools, enabling secure housing of larger medication volumes and facilitating access for filling and air bubble removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multiple ultrasonically sealed cassettes are used to house larger medication volumes, then medication capacity is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate due to requiring multiple units and assembly steps
Solution Approach 1:
The cassette is divided into two separable assemblies: a first assembly containing the medication bag and a second assembly containing the cover. This segmentation allows the medication volume to be expanded while maintaining a single-unit configuration, eliminating the need to use multiple separate cassettes.
Solution Approach 2:
The first assembly is nested within the second assembly through the locking mechanism. The lock receiving structures in the first assembly engage with lock feature protrusions in the second assembly, creating a nested configuration that houses large medication volumes within a single integrated cassette unit.
2Reliability
If ultrasonic sealing is used to secure the medication bag, then tamper resistance is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in accessing and removing air bubbles from the medication bag
Solution Approach 1:
The cassette transitions from a static sealed state to a dynamic accessible state. The two-piece design with lockable connections allows the cover assembly to be removed and reattached, enabling air bubble removal operations while maintaining tamper resistance when locked in the closed position.
Solution Approach 2:
The lockable cover assembly serves as an intermediary between the tamper-resistant sealing requirement and the air bubble removal need. It provides controlled access to the medication bag, allowing pharmacists to remove air bubbles while maintaining the overall security and tamper resistance of the cassette system.
3Quantity of substance
If a single large cassette is designed to house larger medication volumes, then medication capacity is improved, but device complexity increases due to larger cumbersome dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The cassette is segmented into two manageable assemblies that can be separately handled and assembled. This segmentation allows the overall medication capacity to be large while each individual component remains compact and manageable, avoiding the need for a single large cumbersome device.
Solution Approach 2:
The nested arrangement of the first assembly within the second assembly allows efficient space utilization. This configuration maximizes medication volume capacity while maintaining compact overall dimensions, preventing the cassette from becoming unnecessarily large or cumbersome.
Data Source
AI summary
A disposable medical cassette apparatus and method for housing medication in a tamper resistant enclosure for selective coupled attachment to an ambulatory infusion pump. In some embodiments, the device may include a first assembly comprising a rear housing and a pressure plate affixed to one another, as well as a second assembly comprising a cover that includes a plurality of lock feature protrusions and at least one slotted aperture. The first assembly and second assembly are adapted for permanent coupling by a first and second lock arrangements. Generally, the first lock arrangement includes lock feature protrusions of the second assembly engaging within the lock receiving structures of the first assembly. Further, the second lock arrangement includes at least one tabbed snap member of the first assembly engaging within at least one corresponding slotted aperture of the second assembly.