Infusion Pump Pressure Plate Securing Hooks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Ambulatory infusion pumps experience variations in drug delivery accuracy due to inconsistencies in pressure plate designs, leading to fluctuations in fluid volume and pressure measurements, which can result in false alarms and reduced pump performance.
Innovation Solution
The design of a pressure plate with securing hooks and an arch that securely couple to a control module's hinge pins and latch mechanism, ensuring a consistent separation and minimizing variations in contact points, with bearing surfaces parallel to the major surface and a secondary surface at a 45-degree angle to enhance stability and accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a pressure plate is coupled to a control module with hinge pins and latch mechanism, then the pressure plate can be securely attached to the control module, but manufacturing tolerances and longitudinal play cause variations in contact points between the pressure plate and control module
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure plate is divided into multiple bearing surfaces distributed along its length. Instead of relying on a single contact point, the design segments the contact interface into multiple locations (first bearing surface, second bearing surface, and additional bearing surfaces) that can independently accommodate variations in positioning caused by manufacturing tolerances and longitudinal play, while collectively maintaining consistent separation distance.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the pressure plate are equipped with bearing surfaces having specific geometric properties. The bearing surfaces are positioned at locations optimized to compensate for longitudinal play, with each bearing surface having a specific orientation and location that addresses local variations in contact point consistency while contributing to overall attachment strength.
2Ease of manufacture
If the pressure plate design is simplified, then manufacturing becomes easier, but delivery accuracy varies due to inconsistent pressure plate positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The design changes the geometric parameters of the pressure plate by adding bearing surfaces with specific orientations and locations. These parameter changes (adding geometric features at predetermined locations and angles) maintain manufacturing simplicity while significantly improving delivery accuracy by ensuring consistent pressure plate positioning and contact point consistency despite manufacturing tolerances.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple bearing surfaces are added to the pressure plate, then contact point consistency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple bearing surfaces are merged into a single pressure plate structure rather than being separate components. The bearing surfaces are integrated into the pressure plate body, with each surface being a continuous extension of the plate structure. This merging approach maintains contact point consistency while avoiding the complexity of multiple separate parts, fasteners, or adjustment mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A pressure plate is configured to be coupled to a control module of an infusion pump. First and second securing hooks may extend away from a major surface of the pressure plate proximally to a first end. Each of the securing hooks may be structured to reversibly and hingedly couple to a hinge pin of the control module. An arch may extend away from the major surface proximally to a second transverse end and be structured to be received by a latch receptacle of the control module. The pressure plate may be secured to the control module by the securing hooks and arch. Each of the securing hooks may include a bearing surface configured to bear against a hinge pin when the pressure plate is secured to the control module, each bearing surface being parallel along the longitudinal axis with respect to the first major surface to within five degrees.