Rotatable Magazine Medical Plug Delivery Device

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current medical plug delivery devices are limited in their ability to efficiently deliver multiple medical plugs to various sites within a patient's body, particularly in procedures like biopsies, where voids need to be filled to promote blood coagulation and tissue growth, and there is a need for devices that can selectively deploy medical plugs of different lengths and compositions.

Innovation Solution

A medical plug delivery device featuring a rotatable magazine with multiple chambers, allowing for the sequential deployment of medical plugs of varying lengths and compositions, facilitated by a fluid flow path that enables wetting and hydration of the plugs within the device, and a flexible frame that accommodates the rotation of the magazine to align different chambers with the delivery path.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a single-chamber delivery device is used, then the device structure is simple, but it cannot deliver multiple medical plugs of different lengths and compositions to various sites

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to deliver multiple medical plugs of different lengths and compositionsVSAvoiddevice structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The delivery device is divided into multiple independent chambers (first chamber, second chamber, third chamber, etc.), each capable of holding a different medical plug. This segmentation allows the device to deliver multiple plugs of varying lengths and compositions to different sites without requiring multiple separate devices, thus improving versatility while maintaining manageable structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The delivery device is designed with multiple chambers that can each accommodate different types of medical plugs (different lengths, compositions). The common delivery mechanism serves all chambers, making the device universal for delivering various plugs through a single device, thereby improving adaptability without proportionally increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Productivity

If multiple medical plugs are stored in separate devices, then each plug can be optimized for specific sites, but the procedure time increases and efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveefficiency of delivering multiple medical plugsVSAvoidprocedure time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple chambers for storing different medical plugs are merged into a single delivery device with a common delivery mechanism. This allows the practitioner to deliver multiple plugs during one procedure without switching between devices, significantly improving productivity and reducing procedure time while maintaining the ability to optimize each plug for specific sites.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The delivery device enables continuous delivery of multiple medical plugs without interruption or device replacement. The practitioner can sequentially activate each chamber through the common delivery mechanism, maintaining continuous useful action throughout the procedure, thereby reducing loss of time and improving overall efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Ease of operation

If a rigid magazine structure is used, then manufacturing precision is high, but the device cannot accommodate rotation to align different chambers with the delivery path

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to rotate magazine to align chambersVSAvoidflexible frame structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The magazine structure is made flexible rather than rigid, allowing it to be rotated and repositioned to align different chambers with the delivery path. This dynamic capability improves ease of operation, enabling the practitioner to selectively position any chamber for delivery, while the flexibility actually reduces structural complexity compared to a rigid system with multiple alignment mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11751859B2Medical plug delivery devices with a rotatable magazine and related components and methods

Publication Date: 2023.09.12 MERIT MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC

AI summary

Medical devices for delivering compositions or medical articles to a patient are disclosed. The medical plug delivery devices can include a fluid delivery device (e.g., a syringe), a frame, and a rotatable magazine. The rotatable magazine can include a plurality of chambers that each hold a composition or a medical article (e.g., a medical plug). By rotating the rotatable magazine relative to the frame, material within the chambers of the rotatable magazine can be sequentially deployed to a patient.