Molded Tubelike Fluid Elements for Dispense Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices for delivering multiple medicaments are complex and costly to manufacture, requiring intricate assembly and material compatibility to prevent cross-contamination and ensure biocompatibility, making them difficult to produce and use effectively.
Innovation Solution
A dispense interface with tubelike fluid elements molded into a body part, providing a fluid channel arrangement with a large length-to-diameter ratio, simplifies manufacturing and assembly by eliminating the need for complex tooling and reducing material contact with medicaments, using biocompatible materials like COP and stainless steel to ensure compatibility and prevent cross-contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex fluid channel arrangements are used to deliver multiple medicaments, then fluid communication between reservoirs is achieved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid channel arrangement is segmented into multiple tubelike fluid elements, each independently molded into the body part. This segmentation allows each tube to be manufactured separately using simple molding processes, then integrated into the final device, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining reliable fluid communication between reservoirs.
Solution Approach 2:
The tubelike fluid elements are molded directly into the body part, creating a nested structure where the fluid channels are integrated within the housing. This nesting eliminates the need for separate complex assembly steps and reduces the number of discrete components, simplifying manufacturing while ensuring reliable fluid pathways.
2Reliability
If multiple materials are used to prevent cross-contamination, then biocompatibility is improved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different material properties are applied locally where needed - biocompatible materials like COP and stainless steel are used specifically for tubelike fluid elements that contact medicaments, while other parts of the body part can use different materials. This localized application of material specifications prevents cross-contamination without requiring the entire device to be assembled from multiple complex material components.
Solution Approach 2:
The dispense interface uses composite material construction, combining biocompatible materials (COP, stainless steel) for fluid-contact surfaces with other materials for structural components. This composite approach ensures biocompatibility and prevents cross-contamination while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through integrated molding processes.
3Reliability
If long fluid channels are used to prevent cross-contamination, then isolation is improved, but manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid pathway is segmented into multiple discrete tubelike elements rather than using a single long complex channel. Each tubular element can be manufactured using simple molding or extrusion processes, then assembled into the final configuration. This segmentation maintains the necessary fluid isolation and pathway length while dramatically simplifying the manufacturing process.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention inter alia relates to a dispense interface for an ejection device. The dispense interface comprises at least two inlets, at least one outlet, a body part, and a fluid channel arrangement within the body part configured to provide fluid communication between the at least two inlets and the at least one outlet; wherein each of the at least two inlets is formed from a tubelike fluid element; wherein each of the tubelike fluid elements is molded into the body part; and wherein each of the tubelike fluid elements provides at least a part of the fluid channel arrangement within said body part.