Refillable Injection Pen Cartridge With Piston-Based Dose Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medicine administration systems lack the ability to efficiently refill medicine cartridges, particularly for managing chronic conditions like diabetes, leading to inadequate supply management.
Innovation Solution
A reusable injection pen with a refillable cartridge and a mechanism that allows for the insertion of a medicine dispensing element to refill the cartridge, combined with sensors to track medicine dispensed and characteristics of the cartridge, ensuring accurate dosing and replenishment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a reusable injection pen with refillable cartridge is used, then supply management is enhanced and productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The injection pen is divided into distinct modular components: a reusable body housing the drive mechanism, a replaceable cartridge containing the medicine reservoir and piston, and a separate dispensing element. This segmentation allows the complex refilling function to be isolated to the cartridge module while keeping the main body simple and reusable.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge is nested within the body housing, and the piston is nested within the cartridge's medicine reservoir. The refilling mechanism utilizes the existing nested structure by injecting medicine through the cartridge wall into the reservoir space, leveraging the hierarchical arrangement to achieve refilling without adding external complexity.
2Measurement precision
If sensors are added to track medicine usage, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing function is merged with the existing mechanical drive mechanism. The drive member's movement during dispensing and refilling automatically actuates the sensor, combining the mechanical actuation system with the measurement system into a unified structure that tracks medicine usage without requiring separate actuation mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system is designed to automatically detect and record medicine dispensing and refilling events based on the mechanical movements of the piston and drive member, without requiring external intervention or complex electronic controls. The system self-monitors its own operation through the inherent mechanical interactions during use.
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
Enables efficient refilling of medicine cartridges, enhances supply management, and provides real-time tracking and monitoring of medicine usage, improving user adherence to treatment plans.
Implementation Method 1
Dispensing of the liquid medicine from the medicine dispensing element into the interior volume of the medicine cartridge applies a fluid pressure on the piston to translate the piston within the interior volume of the medicine cartridge
Data Source
AI summary
A medicine injection pen includes a body, a drive member, a cartridge housing, and a medicine cartridge retained within the cartridge housing. The drive member is configured to move relative to the body and the medicine cartridge defines an interior volume configured to retain a liquid medicine. The drive member is configured to translate a piston within the interior volume toward a dispensing end of the medicine cartridge to dispense at least some of the liquid medicine. The medicine cartridge also includes an insertion port configured to receive a medicine dispensing element therethrough for dispensing a liquid medicine into the interior volume to replace at least some of the liquid medicine dispensed through the dispensing end. Dispensing of the liquid medicine into the interior volume of the medicine cartridge applies a fluid pressure to the piston to translate the piston away from the dispensing end of the medicine cartridge.