Plunger Locking Assembly for Fat Transfer Syringe
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fat transfer syringes lack a mechanism to enhance their performance and ease of use during fat harvesting and re-injection procedures, leading to inefficiencies and user fatigue due to the need for continuous manual force to maintain plunger position.
Innovation Solution
A plunger locking assembly that includes a main body with a plunger locking mechanism and retention member, allowing the plunger to be locked at fixed positions within the syringe barrel, preventing further displacement and facilitating incremental fat harvesting or re-injection by engaging and disengaging with the barrel lip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional fat transfer syringe is used without a locking mechanism, then the device structure remains simple, but the user experiences fatigue due to the need for continuous manual force to maintain plunger position
Solution Approach 1:
The plunger locking assembly enables the syringe to maintain plunger position automatically without requiring continuous manual force from the user. The locking mechanism self-activates when the plunger reaches predetermined positions, allowing the device to serve itself by maintaining position through mechanical engagement with the barrel lip rather than relying on user-applied force
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is implemented as a separate, modular assembly that attaches to the syringe plunger. This segmented design allows the locking functionality to be added independently from the basic syringe structure, enabling ease of operation improvement while minimizing overall device complexity through functional separation
2Productivity
If a plunger locking mechanism is added to the syringe, then procedural efficiency is improved through incremental volume control, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is designed as a distinct modular assembly with multiple locking positions, allowing incremental volume control functionality to be added without redesigning the entire syringe. This segmentation enables procedural efficiency improvement while containing the increase in device complexity to a specific functional module
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism serves multiple functions: it locks the plunger at predetermined positions for incremental volume control, prevents over-injection by blocking further plunger displacement, and provides tactile feedback to the user. This multi-functionality improves procedural efficiency while minimizing the need for additional separate components
3Measurement precision
If the plunger can be locked at multiple fixed positions, then volume control precision is improved, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism provides multiple discrete locking positions along the plunger travel path, each corresponding to a predetermined volume. This segmented positioning approach improves volume control precision by allowing selection of specific volume increments while keeping the mechanism relatively simple through the use of discrete engagement points rather than continuous adjustment
Data Source
AI summary
A plunger locking assembly is provided for a syringe which has a barrel and a plunger. The barrel has a closed end with a cannula connector, an open end bounded by a peripheral lip and a barrel longitudinal axis extending between the closed end and the open end. The plunger has a plunger inner end, a plunger outer end and a plunger longitudinal axis extending between the plunger inner end and the plunger outer end. The plunger is slidably displacable within the barrel to different longitudinal lock positions and the barrel and plunger longitudinal axes are coextensive with one another. The plunger locking assembly includes a main body and a plunger locking mechanism. The main body has an inner end, an outer end and a main body longitudinal axis and is adapted to engage the plunger. The plunger locking mechanism is positioned on the main body and is adapted to lock the plunger at a fixed longitudinal lock position within the barrel to prevent further slidable displacement of the plunger into the barrel.