Pharmaceutical Container Heat-Activated Encapsulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The misuse and disposal of unused pharmaceutical products, particularly pain management drugs, pose health risks due to potential diversion and environmental concerns, as traditional disposal methods like flushing or 'take back' programs are inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A pharmaceutical product container equipped with a heat-activated encapsulation material that melts at a lower temperature than the container, encasing unused pharmaceutical products to prevent illicit use and facilitate secure disposal by encapsulating them when heated.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional disposal methods (flushing or take back programs) are used, then pharmaceutical products can be disposed of, but the process is costly and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The container enables the user to perform disposal independently at home by heating the container to melt the encapsulation material and seal the pharmaceutical product, eliminating the need for take-back programs or flushing
Solution Approach 2:
The container includes pre-installed encapsulation material and sealing components that are prepared in advance, so that when disposal is needed, the user only needs to heat the container to activate the pre-positioned materials
2Ease of operation
If unused pharmaceutical product is disposed of in the trash, then disposal is simple, but there is potential for illicit usage
Solution Approach 1:
The encapsulation material undergoes a phase transition from solid to liquid when heated, allowing it to flow and encapsulate the pharmaceutical product, then solidifies again to create a secure seal that prevents misuse
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical disposal methods with a thermal process where heating activates the encapsulation material to chemically and physically seal the pharmaceutical product, making it unusable
3Reliability
If heat-activated encapsulation material is used to encapsulate pharmaceutical product, then misuse is prevented, but the container structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The encapsulation material, sealing components, and container structure are merged into an integrated system where heating simultaneously activates the encapsulation material and triggers the sealing mechanism, reducing the number of separate components
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes in the encapsulation material (melting point, viscosity) in response to temperature changes to achieve encapsulation and sealing, eliminating the need for complex mechanical actuation systems
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
The solution effectively reduces the risk of misuse by rendering unused pharmaceutical products unusable and provides a secure, cost-effective method for disposal, addressing the inefficiencies of existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
the heat-activated encapsulation material has a second melting temperature that is lower than the first melting temperature of the container. Heating the container to at least the second melting temperature activates the encapsulation material so as to at least partially encapsulate the pharmaceutical product
Data Source
AI summary
Containers and methods for disposing unused pharmaceutical product are disclosed. Each container (100, 200, 300) may include a container body (104, 204, 304) with an internal chamber (116, 216, 316) for storing pharmaceutical product, along with a cover (124, 224, 324) for selectively limiting access to the chamber (116, 216, 316). An encapsulation component (128, 228, 328) may be selectively disposable within the chamber (116, 216, 316), and may be operable to encapsulate the pharmaceutical product within the container (100, 200, 300). For instance, the encapsulation component (128, 228, 328) may melt and/or flow into contact with the pharmaceutical product and thereafter solidify to encapsulate the pharmaceutical product. The encapsulation component (128, 228, 328) may melt and thereafter solidify between the cover (124, 224, 324) and shell (104, 204, 304) to limit removal of the cover (124, 224, 324) from the shell (104, 204, 304).