Modular Platform Assembly for Drug Delivery Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity in assembling drug delivery devices, such as autoinjectors, due to the need for suitable components to handle drugs with varying viscosities and volumes, leads to increased assembly challenges and costs, particularly in ensuring efficient delivery and user experience.
Innovation Solution
A platform manufacturing approach that uses a set of base components and interchangeable sub-assemblies, including rear and front sub-assemblies with different drive mechanisms and syringe assemblies made from glass or polymeric materials, allowing for customization based on drug viscosity and volume, and accommodating various user groups through adaptable skins.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If custom drive assemblies are created for each drug viscosity and volume combination, then delivery effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into modular sub-assemblies (drive assembly, syringe assembly, skin) that can be independently selected and combined. This segmentation allows the system to handle multiple drug viscosities and volumes through combination of standardized modules rather than custom-built assemblies, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining delivery effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive assembly and syringe assembly are designed as universal, multi-functional components that can work together in various configurations to deliver different drug viscosities and volumes. The standardized interfaces and robust component designs enable a single drive assembly to effectively deliver multiple drug formulations, eliminating the need for custom assemblies for each drug type.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple custom device configurations are manufactured, then adaptability to different drugs is improved, but manufacturing cost and inventory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the device into standardized sub-assemblies, the system achieves high adaptability to different drugs through modular combination rather than manufacturing multiple custom devices. This reduces the number of unique part numbers and assembly procedures required, simplifying manufacturing processes and reducing costs despite maintaining broad drug compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves adaptability to different drug viscosities and volumes by changing the parameters of standardized components (such as syringe size, drive mechanism strength) rather than creating entirely new devices. This allows a limited set of standardized components to cover a wide range of drug formulations through parameter variation within the modular framework.
3Strength
If robust drive assemblies are used for high viscosity drugs, then delivery capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive assembly is designed as a standardized module that can be combined with different syringe assemblies to handle various drug viscosities. Rather than creating custom drive assemblies for each drug type, the system uses a segmented approach where a single robust drive assembly design works with multiple syringe configurations, reducing component variety while maintaining delivery capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive assembly is engineered as a universal component with multi-functional capability to deliver both high viscosity and low viscosity drugs through appropriate pairing with different syringe assemblies. This universality eliminates the need for multiple specialized drive assemblies, reducing device complexity while preserving the strength needed for high viscosity formulations.
Data Source
AI summary
An approach for assembling a platform drug delivery device includes providing a set of base components and identifying, based on at least one desired characteristic of the platform drug delivery device, a rear sub-assembly for the drug delivery device from a group of rear sub-assemblies. The identified rear sub-assembly is selected, and a front sub-assembly is identified based on the at least one desired characteristic from a group of front sub-assemblies. The identified front-assembly is selected, and the drug delivery device is assembled using the set of base components, the rear sub-assembly, and the front sub-assembly.