Needle Arrangement With Variable Length Fluid Channel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing needle arrangements for drug delivery devices have a fixed length, which can result in a drug delivery device being longer than necessary, and there is a need for a more compact and adaptable solution that allows for variable length adjustment.
Innovation Solution
A needle arrangement with a distal and proximal needle tip held in respective holders, connected by a flexible fluid channel that can move axially between compact and extended states, utilizing a spring or elastic structure to adjust length and facilitate piercing of both the injection site and medicament cartridge septum.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a fixed length needle arrangement is used, then the structure is simple and reliable, but the drug delivery device becomes longer than necessary
Solution Approach 1:
The needle arrangement transitions from a fixed length configuration to a dynamic variable length configuration. The fluid channel can be compressed to a compact state for storage and extended to a working state for injection, allowing the needle arrangement to adapt its length based on operational requirements rather than being constrained by a fixed dimension.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle arrangement employs a telescopic or nested structure where the distal needle holder and proximal needle holder can be positioned at different distances from each other. The fluid channel is arranged to allow axial movement between the holders, enabling one component to be nested within or adjacent to another, thereby reducing the overall length when in the compact state.
2Length of moving object
If a variable length needle arrangement is implemented, then the device becomes more compact, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid channel is designed with flexible properties, allowing it to bend and compress axially between the distal and proximal needle holders. This flexibility enables the fluid channel to accommodate the variable length requirement without requiring complex rigid mechanical linkages, joints, or actuators, thereby achieving compactness while minimizing structural complexity.
3Reliability
If a spring is added to bias the needle arrangement towards expanded state, then piercing function is improved, but part count increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring element is integrated directly into the fluid channel structure, merging the sealing function and the biasing force generation function into a single component. This eliminates the need for separate sealing elements and spring components, reducing the overall part count while maintaining the reliability of both the sealing and piercing functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-formed fluid channel serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the sealing barrier between the proximal and distal needle holders, generates the biasing force for the piercing action, and allows axial compression for compact storage. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional dedicated components.
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 a shorter drug delivery device by allowing the needle arrangement to adjust its length, reducing the overall device size while ensuring effective piercing of both the injection site and the medicament cartridge septum, and reduces part count and costs through the use of a flexible fluid channel.
Implementation Method 1
a spring is arranged between the distal needle holder and the proximal needle holder biasing the needle arrangement towards the expanded state
Implementation Method 2
the fluid channel is adapted to allow axial movement of the distal needle tip and relative to the proximal needle tip between a compact state and an extended state
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a needle arrangement for a drug delivery device. The needle arrangement includes a distal needle tip and a proximal needle tip. The distal needle tip is held in a distal needle holder and wherein the proximal needle tip is held in a proximal needle holder. The distal needle tip and the proximal needle tip are in fluid communication with each other through a fluid channel. The fluid channel is adapted to allow axial movement of the distal needle tip and relative to the proximal needle tip between a compact state and an extended state. A length of the needle arrangement over the distal needle tip and the proximal needle tip in the extended state is greater than in the compact state.