Resilient Tooth Gripper for Needle Shield Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing needle shields on medicament delivery devices are difficult to remove due to the need for reliable sealing and maintaining sterility, particularly for users with impaired manual dexterity, and existing gripping devices are not universally adaptable.
Innovation Solution
A gripper with resilient teeth that bend to facilitate insertion of the needle shield and resist withdrawal, featuring an offset tip plane to reduce insertion force and enhance withdrawal resistance, allowing for secure removal of the needle shield.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the needle shield is made to frictionally engage with the hub to maintain sterility and provide sealing, then reliability of sealing is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates as users with impaired manual dexterity find it difficult to remove the needle shield
Solution Approach 1:
The needle shield removal function is segmented from the needle shield itself and transferred to a separate gripper mechanism. The gripper includes multiple teeth that can independently engage with the needle shield, allowing the removal function to be decoupled from the sealing function. This enables the needle shield to maintain its sealing integrity while the gripper handles the removal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The gripper is designed to be self-actuating through resilient teeth that automatically engage with the needle shield when the cap is removed. The resilient nature of the teeth provides automatic engagement without requiring additional user action, making the system serve itself in the removal process.
2Reliability
If a resiliently deformable material is used for the inner portion of the needle shield to provide sealing, then sealing quality is improved, but the force required for removal increases making it difficult for users with impaired manual dexterity
Solution Approach 1:
The gripper teeth act as an intermediary mechanism between the user's manual action and the needle shield. Instead of the user directly pulling on the sealed needle shield (which requires overcoming the sealing friction), the gripper teeth engage with the outer surface and provide a mechanical advantage for removal, reducing the force required from the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The gripper teeth are made resiliently deformable, allowing them to dynamically adapt to the needle shield surface during engagement. This dynamic flexibility enables the teeth to conform to the needle shield outer surface and provide secure engagement without requiring excessive force, while still allowing easy release when needed.
3Reliability
If existing gripping devices are designed specifically for particular needle shield designs, then reliability of engagement is improved, but adaptability deteriorates as they cannot be universally applied to different needle shield designs
Solution Approach 1:
The gripper is designed with multiple resilient teeth that can engage with various outer surface features of different needle shield designs. The teeth can engage with ribs, flutes, or other surface characteristics commonly found across different needle shield types, making the gripper universally applicable while maintaining reliable engagement through the resilient deformation capability of the teeth.
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 gripper reduces the force required for insertion and increases resistance to accidental withdrawal, ensuring easy assembly and safe removal of the needle shield, enhancing user convenience and safety.
Implementation Method 1
the root portion connects the tooth to the gripper body and defines a region about which the tooth can resiliently bend relative to the body
Implementation Method 2
the planar tip portion being resiliently biased to an initial position in which the planar tip portion of each tooth lies in a plane which is offset from the opening plane along the first axis
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a gripper comprising a gripper body. The gripper body extends around, and defines, an opening through which a first axis extends. The opening lies in an opening plane. The gripper further comprises a plurality of teeth and each tooth extends towards the first axis along a tooth axis. Each tooth comprises a root portion and a body portion. The body portion comprises a planar tip portion and the root portion connects the tooth to the gripper body and defines a region about which the tooth can resiliently bend relative to the body. The planar tip portion is resiliently biased to an initial position in which the planar tip portion of each tooth lies in a plane which is offset from the opening plane along the first axis.