Protective case for an auto-injector
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional protective cases for auto-injectors fail to adequately address patient concerns regarding portability, unwanted attention, and temperature susceptibility, leading to ongoing anxieties among users.
Innovation Solution
A protective auto-injector case designed to be portable, adaptable, and low-profile, featuring a vacuum-sealed chamber for thermal isolation, made from materials like metal, thermoplastic, and thermoplastic elastomer, with a dual-chamber configuration and additional thermal barriers to reduce heat transfer, and attachment mechanisms for everyday items, enabling secure and insulated storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a protective case is designed to be portable and low-profile, then ease of operation and adaptability are improved, but thermal protection capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested vacuum insulation structure where an inner wall and outer wall are positioned concentrically to form a vacuum chamber between them. The auto-injector device is nested within the inner cavity formed by the inner wall. This nested configuration maximizes thermal insulation within a compact footprint, providing robust temperature protection while maintaining a portable, low-profile form factor that can be easily carried.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a vacuum sealed chamber is implemented for thermal isolation, then temperature susceptibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum chamber structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides thermal insulation to protect the auto-injector from temperature extremes, creates a sealed protective environment, and maintains structural rigidity for the portable case. The inner and outer walls are configured to form this multi-functional vacuum chamber without requiring additional separate components, thereby reducing overall device complexity while achieving superior temperature protection.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If additional thermal barriers are added to reduce heat transfer, then temperature susceptibility is improved, but device complexity and volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs thin-walled inner and outer shell structures that are positioned close together to form the vacuum chamber. These thin flexible shells create an effective thermal barrier through the vacuum space between them without requiring thick insulating material layers. This approach minimizes the overall volume of the protective case while maintaining superior thermal isolation properties, allowing the device to remain compact and portable.
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 case enhances the usability and reliability of auto-injectors by providing improved thermal protection, increased portability, and customizable configurations, addressing user anxieties and extending the device's operational time in adverse conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The protective case can include a lower portion including a double wall forming a lower vacuum chamber therebetween and a lower sidewall flange, where the lower vacuum chamber extends within at least a portion of the lower sidewall flange
Implementation Method 2
The pressure in each of the vacuum chambers may be set to reduce the rate of heat transfer
Data Source
AI summary
The application describes a protective case for an auto-injector. The medicament contained within these auto-injectors can be susceptible to degradation due to exposure to extreme temperatures and light. Thus, one embodiment of the protective case reduces the rate of heat transfer between the internal storage compartment of the case and the external atmosphere by including particularly configured vacuum chambers. Additionally, as auto-injectors become smaller, portability can be desirable. Thus, another embodiment of the protective case includes low-profile cases that allow the user to keep the auto-injector with them, e.g., by attaching the case to a common everyday item.