Rolling Diaphragm Syringe Assembly for Precise Low-Waste Fluid Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current syringe designs for medical fluid injection procedures are costly due to material and precision requirements, and there is a need for improved designs that facilitate efficient fluid delivery while being cost-effective.
Innovation Solution
A syringe assembly featuring a rolling diaphragm with a flexible sidewall that rolls upon itself when actuated by a plunger, allowing for efficient fluid filling and discharge, and a reusable pressure jacket that can be used with a disposable rolling diaphragm, reducing material costs and enhancing injection precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional disposable syringes with rigid barrels and pistons are used, then fluid delivery is reliable, but manufacturing cost is high due to material and precision requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The syringe is divided into two functional segments: a reusable pressure jacket (housing) and a disposable rolling diaphragm assembly. This segmentation allows the expensive precision housing to be reused while only the consumable diaphragm is discarded, reducing overall manufacturing cost per procedure while maintaining reliability through the precision reusable component.
Solution Approach 2:
The rolling diaphragm is made from a flexible membrane material that can be rolled and unrolled to deliver fluid. This flexible film approach replaces the traditional rigid barrel and piston assembly, significantly reducing material costs and simplifying manufacturing while maintaining adequate fluid delivery reliability for single-use applications.
2Measurement precision
If a rigid barrel with sliding plunger is used, then fluid delivery precision is good, but material consumption and waste are high
Solution Approach 1:
The rolling diaphragm uses a flexible membrane instead of a rigid barrel and sliding plunger. This thin film structure delivers the required fluid precision through its rolling action while consuming minimal material, as the diaphragm itself is the disposable component rather than an entire rigid syringe assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows recovery and reuse of the pressure jacket housing which contains the precision elements, while only the consumable rolling diaphragm is discarded. This selective discarding reduces material waste by keeping expensive precision components in circulation.
3Reliability
If traditional syringe designs are used, then fluid delivery is reliable, but device complexity and cost are high
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the syringe into a reusable pressure jacket and a disposable rolling diaphragm assembly, the complex precision elements are isolated to the reusable portion. This allows the disposable portion to be simpler in structure while maintaining injection reliability through the precision reusable housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The rolling diaphragm's flexible membrane structure inherently simplifies the device compared to rigid mechanical assemblies. The rolling action provides reliable fluid delivery without requiring complex sealing mechanisms, guides, or piston structures, thus reducing overall device complexity.
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 syringe assembly enables efficient and precise fluid delivery with reduced material costs, as the rolling diaphragm design minimizes residual volume and the reusable pressure jacket reduces waste, making the system more cost-effective and efficient for medical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
At least a portion of the sidewall may be flexible and rolls upon itself when acted upon by the plunger such that an outer surface of the sidewall at a folding region is folded in a radially inward direction as the plunger is advanced from the proximal end to the distal end
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4A
AI summary
A syringe for a fluid delivery system includes a pressure jacket having a distal end, a proximal end, and a throughbore therebetween. The syringe further includes a rolling diaphragm having a proximal end with an end wall for engaging a plunger, a distal end received within the throughbore of the pressure jacket. A sidewall extends between the proximal end and the distal end of the rolling diaphragm along a longitudinal axis. At least a portion of one of the sidewall and the end wall has non-uniform thickness. At least a portion of the sidewall is flexible and rolls upon itself when acted upon by the plunger such that an outer surface of the sidewall at a folding region is folded in a radially inward direction as the plunger is advanced from the proximal end to the distal end of the rolling diaphragm.