Automatic Needle-Free Injector with Robotic Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing needle-free injectors are not easily usable by non-medical professionals for self-administration of medicaments or vaccines, particularly in remote locations, and lack secure cartridge retention mechanisms, which can lead to improper administration and contamination risks.
Innovation Solution
A portable, automatic needle-free injector system with a robotic mechanism, sensors, and a locking mechanism for secure cartridge retention, integrated into a self-contained container unit that allows for easy, safe, and controlled administration of medicaments or vaccines by users without medical training, using a user interface and air compressor for precise injection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a manual needle-free injector is used, then the device structure is simple, but it requires medical professional intervention and proper training for safe administration
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service administration through automatic injector positioning, cartridge insertion detection, and injection execution without requiring medical professional intervention. The robotic mechanism autonomously performs tasks that previously required trained operators, allowing users to safely administer injections themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operation with an automated robotic system. The robotic arm with positioning mechanisms substitutes for the manual handling and positioning that previously required medical training, transforming a manually-operated device into an automated system that reduces the skill barrier.
2Reliability
If a manual injector is used, then the device structure is simple, but cartridge retention is insecure leading to improper administration and contamination risks
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates sensors that detect cartridge presence and provide feedback to the control system. This feedback mechanism ensures the cartridge is properly inserted and retained before injection, preventing improper administration. The sensor monitoring creates a closed-loop system that verifies cartridge security.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic mechanism acts as an intermediary between the user and the injection process. It securely handles the cartridge insertion and retention, mediating the interaction to ensure proper positioning and security without requiring the user to manually manipulate the cartridge, thereby preventing contamination and improper administration.
3Reliability
If manual injection is performed, then the device is simple to operate, but improper use by untrained users is common
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs the complex tasks of injector positioning, cartridge insertion verification, and injection execution automatically, allowing untrained users to achieve reliable results through self-service operation. The automation ensures consistent, accurate administration without requiring medical training.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic positioning system replaces manual mechanical positioning with automated control. The robotic arm precisely positions the injector tip relative to the injection site, substituting the manual dexterity and anatomical knowledge previously required with automated sensing and positioning mechanisms.
4Ease of operation
If a needle-free injector is used for self-administration, then patient convenience is improved, but the risk of improper use and contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic mechanism serves as a sterile intermediary between the external environment and the medicament delivery system. It handles cartridge insertion and injector positioning in a controlled manner, reducing contamination risk while enabling self-administration convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
Sensors provide real-time feedback on cartridge presence and proper insertion, allowing the system to verify sterile conditions are maintained before proceeding with injection. This feedback mechanism prevents improper use that could lead to contamination while maintaining patient convenience.
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 safe and effective self-administration of medicaments or vaccines by users outside medical facilities, reducing the risk of improper use and contamination, and ensuring secure cartridge retention during injection, making it suitable for use by a wider range of users, including those without medical training.
Implementation Method 1
a plunger and piston combination positioned at a rear (distal) end of the barrel which acts under pressure by compressed gas behind the piston. On actuation of a trigger or button, the gas is released with sufficient force to act against the piston and expel the medicament
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic needle-free injector container unit system is provided. The system comprises a needle-free injector for injecting a medicament from a cartridge to a user, such as a human or small pet, wherein the needle-free injector comprises a cartridge chamber for receiving the cartridge; and an injector movement mechanism for automatically and reversibly positioning the needle-free injector to one or more of: a home position where injector is retracted and positioned away from contact with the user, and an injecting position where the injector is in proximity′ to the user for injection of the medicament; and a container for housing the needle-free injector and injector movement mechanism. One or more sensors may also be provided to facilitate the injection process. The system may be a portable unit and located, remotely from medical facilities, and controlled locally and/or remotely by a user with a computer interface.