Needleless Injection System With Adjustable Nozzle And Gas Cooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing needleless injection systems for treating human keratin materials face limitations due to fixed nozzle geometry and viscosity restrictions, which prevent the use of diverse formulations like hyaluronic acid and Botox, and require manual refilling, limiting treatment options and efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A needleless injection system utilizing a pressurized gas reservoir to generate cold for pain reduction and propel a composition into the skin, featuring a cartridge with a multi-dose reservoir and adjustable nozzle geometry, allowing for simultaneous cooling and injection with customizable injection parameters.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a fixed geometry injection nozzle is used, then the device structure is simple, but the adaptability to different formulations is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to different formulationsVSAvoiddevice structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The injection nozzle is designed with adjustable geometry parameters, allowing the outlet orifice size and shape to be dynamically modified. This enables the same device to accommodate different formulation viscosities and rheologies by adjusting the nozzle configuration to match the specific product being injected.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The nozzle geometry parameters (outlet orifice dimensions, angle, shape) are made variable rather than fixed. By changing these geometric parameters, the device can be adapted to different injection requirements and formulation types, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and versatility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If manual refilling is required, then the device structure is simple, but the productivity is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinjection efficiencyVSAvoiddevice structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The reservoir is pre-filled with a large volume of propellant gas before the injection process begins. This preliminary action eliminates the need for repeated refilling operations during treatment, significantly improving productivity while maintaining relatively simple device structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The large reservoir design enables continuous injection operations without interruption for refilling. The propellant gas is replenished in advance, allowing the useful action of injection to continue uninterrupted throughout the treatment session.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Object-affected harmful factors

If no cooling is applied, then the device structure is simple, but the pain sensation during injection increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepain sensationVSAvoiddevice structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system utilizes the phase transition and expansion of propellant gas to generate cold temperatures. As the gas expands during injection, it absorbs heat and creates a cooling effect that reduces pain sensation at the injection site, integrating therapeutic cooling into the injection process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #36Phase transitions

Solution Approach 2:

The expansion of propellant gas, which could potentially cause pressure-related issues, is converted into a beneficial cooling effect. The rapid expansion absorbs heat and creates cold temperatures that alleviate injection pain, turning a potential problem into a therapeutic advantage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

4Duration of action of moving object

If a single reservoir is used, then the device structure is simple, but the duration of action is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinjection durationVSAvoiddevice structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The reservoir system is segmented into a large main reservoir and a smaller delivery reservoir. The main reservoir stores a large volume of propellant gas, while the delivery reservoir provides continuous supply to the injection mechanism, extending the overall duration of action without requiring frequent refilling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 efficient and pain-reduced delivery of various formulations by generating cold for skin cooling and using gas pressure for propulsion, allowing multiple injections without refilling and accommodating different viscosities, thus enhancing treatment flexibility and convenience.

Implementation Method 1

cooling of human keratin materials at the injection site or around the injection site, which makes it possible, notably, to reduce the potential pain sensation that may be felt by the user during treatment

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectJoule-Thomson effect: Joule-Thomson Effect

Implementation Method 2

towards a mechanism for propelling the composition into the human keratin materials using the gas pressure

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGas pressure: Pressure Increase

Data Source

PatentEP3813907B1Needleless injection system
Publication Date: 2024.09.11 LOREAL SA
  • EP3813907B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3813907B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3813907B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

Needleless injection system (150) for injecting a composition, the system (150) comprising and/or designed to receive a reservoir (102) containing a pressurized gas, notably stored in gaseous and/or liquefied form, the system (150) comprising conveying ducts (306; 306a; 306b), enabling the gas to be directed, first, towards the human keratin materials in order to cool said materials by means of the cold generated by an expansion of the pressurized gas and/or towards a surface (340) configured such as to capture the cold generated by an expansion of the pressurized gas and to transmit it towards the human keratin materials in order to cool the human keratin materials, and, second, towards a mechanism (308; 309; 10; 9) for propelling the composition into the human keratin materials using the gas pressure.