Offset Locking Member for Medicament Delivery Guard
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medicament delivery devices, such as autoinjectors, lack effective safety mechanisms to prevent injury or contamination after use, as existing solutions for locking delivery member guards are not universally compatible with devices of varying lengths and configurations.
Innovation Solution
A delivery member guard locking member with a body comprising a plurality of proximally directed surfaces, which are sequentially arranged and offset along the axial direction, allowing for axial or rotational movement to lock the guard adapter in place, preventing further movement of the delivery member guard.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a locking mechanism is provided for delivery member guards, then safety against injury and contamination is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional locking components
Solution Approach 1:
The locking member is integrated into the guard adapter structure, combining the locking function with the existing guard adapter component. This reduces the number of separate parts and simplifies the overall device while maintaining the safety function.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member with multiple proximally directed surfaces can engage with distally directed surfaces at different axial positions, providing a universal locking mechanism that works with various delivery member guard configurations and lengths, making the safety mechanism adaptable across different device designs.
2Reliability
If locking mechanisms are designed for specific device configurations, then locking reliability is improved, but adaptability to devices of varying lengths and configurations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The locking member incorporates multiple proximally directed surfaces at different axial positions, enabling it to engage with distally directed surfaces on guard adapters of various lengths and configurations. This universal design maintains reliable locking across different device types without requiring configuration-specific designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member is designed to be movable relative to the guard adapter, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position to engage with the appropriate distally directed surface regardless of the guard adapter's specific configuration or length, thereby providing both reliability and adaptability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple locking surfaces are provided at different axial positions, then compatibility with devices of varying lengths is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple locking surfaces are integrated into a single locking member component rather than being separate parts. This consolidation simplifies manufacturing by reducing the number of components that need to be produced and assembled, while still providing compatibility with devices of varying lengths through the multiple engagement surfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A delivery member guard locking member comprising: a body (30; 130) extending in an axial direction along a longitudinal axis (L) between a proximal end and a distal end; wherein the body comprises a plurality of proximally directed surfaces (35, 35′; 135, 135′) extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (L) and sequentially arranged next to each other; and wherein each of the plurality of proximally directed surfaces (35, 35′; 135, 135′) is at a different position in the axial direction from the rest of the plurality of proximally directed surfaces (35, 35′; 135, 135′).