Needle Guard Housing With User-Reset Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Auto-injectors with needle guards that lock automatically after use can be accidentally locked by users prior to use, rendering the device inoperable.
Innovation Solution
A housing design featuring a shell and a medicament delivery member guard with a slit and protrusion mechanism that allows the needle guard to be locked and unlocked by the user, preventing accidental locking and enabling reuse of the device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the needle guard locks automatically after use, then safety is improved, but the device can be accidentally locked prior to use rendering it inoperable
Solution Approach 1:
The needle guard transitions from a static locked state to a dynamic system where the user can control locking and unlocking. The guard can be rotated to align the protrusion with the slit (unlocked) or misaligned (locked), allowing dynamic control while maintaining safety through the automatic locking mechanism after injection.
Solution Approach 2:
The slit and protrusion mechanism acts as an intermediary between the user's rotational action and the locking state. By rotating the needle guard, the user controls whether the protrusion engages with the slit, providing a clear mechanical indicator of locked vs. unlocked state and preventing accidental locking.
2Reliability
If the needle guard is locked automatically after use, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle guard system is self-servicing through its automatic locking mechanism. After injection, the guard automatically locks without requiring user intervention, reducing the need for complex control systems while maintaining safety. The simple slit and protrusion design further minimizes complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the needle guard can be retracted to check functionality, then ease of operation is improved, but the risk of accidental locking increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses visual indicators (analogous to color changes) through the alignment of the protrusion with the slit. When aligned, the device is in an unlocked state; when misaligned, it is locked. This clear visual feedback allows users to check functionality by observing the alignment without accidentally triggering the locking mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A housing for a medicament delivery device is presented having a shell extending along an axis in an axial direction from a proximal end to a distal end, and a medicament delivery member guard moveably attached to the shell. The medicament delivery member guard extends in the axial direction from a proximal end to a distal end. The shell has a slit extending in the axial direction and the medicament delivery member guard has a protrusion extending in the axial direction, and/or the medicament delivery member guard has a slit extending in the axial direction and the shell has a protrusion extending in the axial direction. The medicament delivery member guard is configured to move in the axial direction from a first axial position relative to the shell (12) to a second axial position relative to the shell.