System for dosing and dispensing medication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for administering multiparticulate and powdered drugs are inefficient, particularly for pediatric and geriatric patients, as they often result in inaccurate dosing, spilling, and difficulty in swallowing, and existing liquid medication systems are prone to leakage and require refrigeration for storage and transportation.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a package with a sealed bottle and a dosing device that allows precise measurement and dispensing of multiparticulate drugs, using a valve mechanism to prevent spills and a dose control clip for accurate dosing, along with a bottle insert that enables adjustable dose volumes and a secondary chamber for precise dispensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If liquid formulations are used for pediatric medications, then ease of administration and dose volume modification are improved, but large dosing volumes, bad taste requiring taste masking, and refrigeration requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the medication from liquid to solid (multiparticulate formulation), fundamentally altering the parameters of the drug delivery system. This allows the medication to be administered in small, manageable solid particles that can be easily dosed without requiring large volumes or refrigeration, while still providing ease of administration through various delivery devices
Solution Approach 2:
The medication is divided into multiple small multiparticulate units (microspheres, granules, or pellets) rather than a single liquid formulation. This segmentation allows for precise dosing control, easy administration, and eliminates the need for large dosing volumes while maintaining flexibility in dose adjustment
2Quantity of substance
If solid oral doses are used, then dosing volumes are improved, but difficulty in swallowing and inability to easily change dose volumes worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a dynamic dosing system where solid multiparticulate formulations can be easily adjusted in volume and quantity. The segmented nature of the multiparticulates allows caregivers to simply add or remove individual particles to adjust the dose, providing both precise dosing control and ease of administration without the swallowing difficulties of traditional solid doses
3Temperature
If powder formulations are used to solve cold chain storage, then refrigeration requirements are improved, but need for potable water for reconstitution worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the formulation from powder requiring reconstitution to a ready-to-use multiparticulate solid formulation. This parameter change eliminates the need for water and reconstitution steps while maintaining stable storage conditions without refrigeration, thereby improving both storage temperature requirements and ease of preparation simultaneously
4Ease of operation
If multiparticulate drugs are dispensed using gravity into the mouth, then ease of administration is improved, but inaccurate dosing and spilling worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dosing device as an intermediary between the multiparticulate drug container and the patient's mouth. This device provides controlled dispensing mechanisms that maintain ease of administration while ensuring accurate dosing and preventing spilling, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of use and dosing precision
5Reliability
If filter straws are used for dispensing MP drugs, then spilling is reduced, but fixed dose limitation and higher cost worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a dynamic dosing system where the multiparticulate formulation can be adjusted to provide variable doses. The system allows caregivers to control the quantity of particles dispensed, providing both reliable dose delivery and flexible dose adjustment, eliminating the fixed dose limitation of filter straws while maintaining spill-free administration
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 system ensures accurate and reliable delivery of multiparticulate drugs with reduced spillage and leakage, suitable for various age groups and environments, including low-resource settings, and eliminates the need for refrigeration.
Implementation Method 1
Both the bottle and the dosing device have valves that automatically close to prevent spilling
Implementation Method 2
inverting the bottle and allowing the MP drug to flow by gravity into the barrel
Data Source
AI summary
A system for medication delivery comprises a package containing a medication and a dosing device for delivering a dose of the medication, formulated as a multiparticulate, microspheres, a powder or a liquid. The package comprises a bottle, a bottle insert that covers a bottle opening and includes a dispense nozzle. The dispense nozzle is sealed using a valve that opens when the dosing device is engaged with the bottle. A closure covers the bottle insert and closes the bottle. The dosing device, similar to an oral syringe, comprises a barrel with a valve at a distal end of the barrel, a plunger and a dose control clip for attachment to the plunger. After the dosing device is connected to, the valve of the dispense nozzle, withdrawal of the plunger causes the dosing device to receive the dose of the medication, a user pushes the plunger which pushes the medication through the valve of the barrel and into a patient's mouth.