Multi-chamber Syringe Plug Dynamics for Low-cost Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dual syringes with recessed barrels are costly and have low productivity due to the need for specialized molds and issues with burr formation and shape inconsistency during molding.
Innovation Solution
A multi-chamber syringe design featuring a barrel with an open end and a choked end, a push member, and an elastic plug with projections that partition the barrel into two chambers, allowing fluid to flow through gaps and a flow path when pressure is applied, eliminating the need for a recessed barrel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a recess is formed in the barrel to enable dual chamber function, then the syringe can store two different medical substances, but the manufacturing cost increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The syringe barrel is divided into two separate chambers by introducing a plug component, allowing storage of two different medical substances. This segmentation enables the dual chamber function without requiring a complex recessed barrel structure, thereby simplifying manufacturing and improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to shift position during the injection process. This dynamic design enables the plug to seal against the barrel wall during storage and then move to open the flow path during injection, providing the dual chamber function through a simple, easily manufactured component.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a recess is formed in the barrel to enable dual chamber function, then the syringe can store two different medical substances, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of forming a complex recess in the barrel, the invention segments the storage space by introducing a separate plug component. This approach allows the barrel to be manufactured with a simple, uniform structure using standard injection molding, significantly reducing manufacturing cost while still achieving dual chamber functionality through the assembled configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The dual chamber function is achieved by extracting the partitioning function from the barrel structure itself and placing it in a separate plug component. This extraction allows the barrel to be manufactured as a simple, low-cost piece while the plug provides the necessary chamber separation, avoiding the high cost of forming complex recesses in the barrel.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a recess is formed in the barrel to enable dual chamber function, then the syringe can store two different medical substances, but burr formation occurs during molding
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the chamber separation function into a separate plug component rather than forming it as an integral part of the barrel. This eliminates the need to mold complex recesses in the barrel, thereby avoiding burr formation and improving molding precision. The plug can be separately manufactured and assembled, ensuring high precision without the defects associated with recess molding.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a recess is formed in the barrel to enable dual chamber function, then the syringe can store two different medical substances, but shape inconsistency occurs in the recess
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the chamber separation into a separate plug component, the invention eliminates the need to create and maintain consistent recess shapes in the barrel. The plug's geometry is what defines the chamber separation, and this can be consistently manufactured using standard molding techniques without the shape inconsistency problems associated with recesses in the barrel.
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
Enables the production of low-cost, high-productivity multi-chamber syringes using a simple barrel without a recess, ensuring efficient fluid injection and stable plug positioning.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic plug disposed more closely to the choked end than the push member, to fit the inner side surface and slidably on the inner side surface... Application of a pressure from an open end side to the plug, with the first projection contacting with the choked end, makes a first gap opening on the open end side and communicating with the flow path, and a second gap opening on the choked end side and communicating with the flow path, between the inner side surface and the plug
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-chamber syringe 10 which can be manufactured at a low-cost and high-productivity is provided. The syringe 10 includes a generally cylindrical barrel 12, a push member 14 and a plug 16, both of which are disposed to fit the inner side surface 12a of the barrel 12 and slidably on the inner side surface 12a. The plug 16 has a main surface 16a provided with a projection 34 having a top 34a which is eccentric to the main surface 16a. When the push member 14 slides in the direction indicated by Arrow A, the plug 16 comes under pressure from the side on the open end 18. When the projection 34 of the projection 16 makes contact with the choked end 20, the pressure from the side on the open end 18 acts to turn the plug 16 in the direction indicated by Arrow B. This causes a bending deformation in a main body 30 and flanges 32a, 32b of the plug 16, to form a first gap 38 and a second gap 40 between the inner side surface 12a of the barrel 12 and the plug 16.