Disposable Polymer Micro Needle Roller Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional micro needle roller assemblies have limitations in manufacturing complexity, high production costs, and difficulty in reducing the distance between needles for enhanced drug transdermal delivery efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A micro needle roller assembly with a roller head comprising an external cylindrical member and an internal hollow member made of polymer resin, allowing for integral formation and easy assembly, along with a handling member for rotating the internal member, which includes micro needles that can be replaced, and features a vibration generating mechanism for improved skin penetration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If micro needles are made of stainless steel and protruded from inside the roller head, then the needle roller can be sterilized and reused, but the space for needle disposal is limited and the distance between needles cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies disposable micro needle rollers made of polymer material that are used once and then discarded. This eliminates the need for complex sterilization processes while allowing for optimized needle arrangements with minimal spacing. The disposable nature enables closer needle placement without concern for cross-contamination, directly resolving the contradiction between sterilization capability and needle arrangement space.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If micro needles are made of stainless steel, then the needle roller can be reused, but the manufacturing cost and selling price become high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive stainless steel needles with inexpensive polymer material needles that are disposable. This dramatically reduces manufacturing costs while the roller head itself can be reused by replacing the needle array. The solution trades needle reusability for cost reduction, maintaining overall system reusability through the durable roller head structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the needle roller into a reusable roller head and a disposable needle array. This allows the expensive roller head components to be reused while only the inexpensive polymer needle array is discarded after single use, optimizing both cost and reusability characteristics.
3Strength
If circular shaped thin plates are assembled with spacers and reinforcing members, then the structure is strengthened, but the manufacturing process becomes complicated and mass production is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the roller head structure and needle mounting into a single integrated polymer component. The roller head is formed as one piece with built-in needle retention features, eliminating the need for separate spacers and reinforcing members. This integration maintains structural strength while dramatically simplifying the manufacturing process for mass production.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses polymer composite materials that provide both the structural strength and needle retention properties in a single material system, replacing the need for multiple assembled components made of different materials. This composite approach achieves both strength and manufacturing simplicity.
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 assembly can be manufactured with a simple one-shot process, reduces needle distance for enhanced drug delivery, and includes a vibration mechanism to increase skin penetration and blood circulation, enabling efficient drug delivery and repeated use with sanitization.
Implementation Method 1
features a vibration generating mechanism for improved skin penetration
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a micro needle roller assembly comprising a roller head including an external cylindrical member having a plurality of micro needles mounted on a surface thereof and an internal member placed in the external member and supported to the external member by supporting pieces; and a handling member coupled to the internal member for rotating the internal member of the roller head; the plurality of micro needles, the external cylindrical member and the internal member being made of a polymer resin.