Adjustable Height Needle Infusion Device Intradermal Targeting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current insulin infusion sets face challenges in delivering medication to the upper 3 mm of skin surface, the intradermal space, due to the thinness of this layer and lack of features to isolate needles from external forces, leading to difficulties in precise targeting and maintaining needle insertion over time.
Innovation Solution
An infusion set with a removable retraction dial that allows for precise adjustment of needle depth, combined with a needle hub and main base that isolates the needle from external forces, enabling delivery to the intradermal space while maintaining comfort and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a needle is inserted to deliver insulin to the upper 3 mm of skin surface (intradermal space), then drug absorption is improved, but it becomes difficult to maintain needle insertion over extended periods due to the thinness of the intradermal layer
Solution Approach 1:
The needle hub is made rotatable relative to the main base, allowing dynamic adjustment of needle depth. This enables the needle to be repositioned within the intradermal space to maintain optimal infusion conditions over extended periods, resolving the contradiction between achieving reliable drug absorption and maintaining insertion duration.
2Reliability
If shock isolation features are added to protect the needle from external forces, then needle stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into distinct functional components: a main base that remains stationary on the skin, a rotatable needle hub that isolates the needle, and the needle itself. This segmentation allows the needle hub to specifically provide shock isolation and rotational adjustment without complicating the entire device structure.
3Measurement precision
If a retraction dial mechanism is added to adjust needle depth, then positioning precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retraction dial is designed to be manually operated by the user without requiring additional power sources or complex actuation mechanisms. The user directly controls the needle depth adjustment through simple rotational motion, achieving precise positioning while minimizing device complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
An infusion set (10) has a retraction dial that can be removably assembled with the infusion set and access a threaded needle hub contained therein such that the dial can be used to advance or retract a needle hub and an inserted needle to a more precisely controlled insertion depth to deliver insulin or other medicament intradermally (i.e. to the upper 3 mm of skin surface). Position of the inserted needle can be maintained by providing a separated and isolated needle hub, main base and main hub of the infusion set that can isolate the inserted needle from external forces such that the needle can be maintained at a depth to deliver content to the upper 3 mm of skin surface during normal use.