Self-Injecting Microneedle Patch with Compressed Reservoir
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current insulin infusion devices face challenges such as high cost, discomfort, and complexity, particularly with infusion pumps, which are cumbersome and have issues with needle penetration depth and potential malfunction, while daily injection therapies lack continuous infusion capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A patch-like, self-contained infusion device with a partially fillable reservoir and microneedles that uses a pressurizing system to deliver a predetermined volume of medicament through the skin, offering improved patient convenience and reduced discomfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If infusion pump therapy is used to provide continuous insulin infusion and precision dosing, then glucose control and patient wellness are improved, but device cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent describes a disposable insulin delivery device that eliminates the need for expensive, complex reusable pumps. The device is designed to be used once and then discarded, incorporating all necessary components (reservoir, needle, pressurization mechanism) in a single-use unit that provides continuous infusion without requiring costly infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the essential function of continuous insulin delivery from complex pump systems and isolates it in a simplified, self-contained disposable device. By removing unnecessary components and focusing only on the core delivery mechanism, the patent achieves precision dosing without the complexity of traditional pumps
2Ease of manufacture
If disposable infusion devices are used to reduce cost and improve convenience, then device cost and portability are improved, but patient discomfort and malfunction risk increase due to needle issues
Solution Approach 1:
The device is pre-filled with insulin and pre-pressurized during manufacturing, eliminating the need for patient assembly or preparation. The needle is pre-positioned and the entire device is ready for immediate use, reducing patient handling and potential errors while maintaining comfort through proper needle selection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs microneedles with specific diameter and length parameters optimized for painless penetration. By changing the needle parameters from traditional hypodermic dimensions to micrometer-scale dimensions, the device achieves effective insulin delivery with minimal patient discomfort
3Object-affected harmful factors
If short and fine-gauge injection needles are used to reduce patient discomfort, then patient comfort is improved, but manufacturing difficulty and needle penetration control worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual needle insertion with a pressurization system that forces the needle through the skin. By substituting mechanical manual insertion with controlled pressurization, the device achieves reliable penetration with fine-gauge needles that would be difficult to insert manually, while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through automated pressurization mechanisms
4Duration of action of moving object
If reusable infusion pumps are used to provide continuous infusion capability, then continuous delivery is achieved, but device weight and portability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a disposable device design that provides continuous insulin infusion for the duration needed (typically days) without requiring the heavy, reusable pump infrastructure. The entire continuous delivery system is packaged in a lightweight single-use unit that eliminates the need for carrying heavy reusable equipment
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 provides a convenient, low-cost, and comfortable method for insulin delivery, combining the benefits of continuous infusion and precision dosing with reduced manufacturing and usage complexities, while minimizing the risk of needle-stick injuries and malfunctions.
Implementation Method 1
a pressurizing system for selectively pressurizing the reservoir. In a pre-activated position, the pressurizing system contacts and compresses the reservoir to reduce an initial volume of the reservoir
Data Source
AI summary
A device (100) for delivering a medicament into a patient's body by injection into or through the patient's skin, including a main body having a top enclosure (116) and a bottom enclosure (104), a reservoir (160) disposed within the main body for containing the medicament, and an injection needle (152) for penetrating the skin of the patient, the needle (152) having a lumen and selectively communicating with the reservoir (160). The device also includes a pressurizing system (600, 140) for selectively pressurizing the reservoir (160). In a pre-activated position, the pressurizing system (600, 140) contacts and compresses the reservoir (160) to reduce the initial volume of the reservoir (160), thereby allowing for partial filling of the reservoir (160).