On-Body Interlock for Wearable Drug Delivery and Controlled Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drug delivery systems, both handheld auto-injectors and wearable devices, face challenges in delivering drugs over extended periods, with auto-injectors being too rapid and wearable systems often bulky and cumbersome, requiring drug transfer and being uncomfortable.
Innovation Solution
A wearable drug delivery device with a prefilled cartridge that can be preloaded, featuring a mechanical or electromechanical design, allowing for controlled delivery of liquid drugs in single or multiple doses, maintaining a small form factor and improving patient comfort through a needle mechanism that retracts sharp components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If conventional handheld auto-injectors are used for rapid drug delivery, then the drug is delivered quickly to the patient, but the device is not suitable for delivering drugs over longer periods of time
Solution Approach 1:
The device transitions from a static, single-use auto-injector design to a dynamic, wearable pump system that can adjust delivery parameters over time. The programmable pump mechanism allows the delivery rate to be modified during operation, enabling both rapid initial delivery and extended prolonged delivery phases as needed for different therapeutic regimens
2Ease of operation
If conventional wearable drug delivery systems use prefilled cartridges, then the need for manual drug transfer is eliminated, but the devices become bulky and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the bulky prefilled cartridge component from the wearable device architecture. Instead of integrating a large cartridge reservoir, the system uses a compact pump mechanism that draws drug through a flexible catheter from an external source or smaller internal reservoir, significantly reducing the device volume while maintaining ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The drug delivery system is segmented into separate functional modules: a compact wearable pump unit, an external drug reservoir, and connecting catheters. This segmentation allows the pump to remain small and wearable while the drug storage component can be positioned externally or in a separate location, reducing the overall bulk of the wearable portion
3Device complexity
If conventional wearable drug delivery systems require manual drug transfer from vial to container, then device complexity is reduced, but the task is challenging and requires precise handling
Solution Approach 1:
The pump system performs self-service by automatically drawing drug through the catheter without requiring manual transfer operations. The programmable pump controls the entire drug delivery process, eliminating the need for users to manually handle vials, syringes, or transfer mechanisms, thereby simplifying operation while maintaining manageable system complexity
4Duration of action of moving object
If conventional wearable drug delivery systems are designed for extended wear, then delivery duration is improved, but patient comfort is reduced due to bulk and discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates flexible thin-film components including a flexible catheter for drug delivery and a flexible adhesive patch for skin attachment. These thin-film elements reduce the overall bulk and improve comfort against the patient's body, allowing extended wear without the discomfort associated with bulky conventional wearable devices
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable drug delivery device that can deliver a liquid drug stored in a container to a patient is provided. The container can be a prefilled cartridge that can be loaded into the drug delivery device by the patient or that can be preloaded within the drug delivery device when provided to the patient. A sealed end of the container is pierced to couple the stored liquid drug to a needle conduit that is coupled to a needle insertion component that provides access to the patient. A drive system of the drug delivery device can expel the liquid drug from the cartridge to the patient through the needle conduit. The drive system can be controlled to provide the liquid drug to the patient in a single dose or over multiple doses.