Scored Soft-Chewable Veterinary Dose Division With Low Mass Loss

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing soft-chewable veterinary products lack precision in dose division and are prone to contamination, with existing score markings ineffective for deformable materials, leading to issues like over- or under-dosing and contamination risks.

Innovation Solution

A soft-chewable product with carefully selected rheological properties and opposing score markings, requiring a force of 10-60 N for division, ensuring less than 0.5% mass loss, allowing precise and controlled division into halves, quarters, or eighths, with reduced contamination risk.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If score markings are added to soft-chewable products to facilitate division, then division ease is improved, but the crack does not propagate spontaneously and division precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedivision easeVSAvoiddivision precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent modifies the rheological parameters of the soft-chewable product by adjusting the ratio of binding agents (gelatin, agar-agar, or starch) to achieve optimal division characteristics. This parameter change enables the material to tear cleanly along score markings while maintaining sufficient structural integrity during handling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces score markings (grooves or lines) on the surface of the soft-chewable product to create predetermined weak points. These segmentation features guide the tearing process and enable precise division into predetermined portions such as halves, quarters, or eighths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If the product is made soft and deformable for pleasant mouth feel, then animal acceptance is improved, but the product crumbles in the mouth and dosage compliance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanimal acceptanceVSAvoiddosage compliance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses composite material formulation combining gelatin, agar-agar, or starch with binding agents and flavorings to create a soft-chewable product that maintains both softness for animal acceptance and sufficient structural integrity to prevent crumbling during chewing and administration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Manufacturing precision

If products are made for specific weight ranges to ensure accurate dosing, then dosage precision is improved, but the number of product presentations and manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedosage precisionVSAvoidproduct presentation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal soft-chewable product formulation that can be divided into precise dosage portions for different animal weights using the same base product. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for multiple product presentations while maintaining dosage precision through division into halves, quarters, or eighths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Strength

If hard tablets are used for stable structure, then structural integrity is improved, but the texture becomes dry and gritty making animal acceptance poor

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidanimal acceptance

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent fundamentally changes the physical state parameter of the tablet from hard and brittle to soft and deformable by incorporating gelatin, agar-agar, or starch. This parameter change provides a pleasant mouth feel and agreeable taste for animals while maintaining sufficient structural integrity through proper formulation and score marking design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 solution enables precise dosage adjustment for varying animal weights, reduces contamination risk, and allows flexible administration schedules, minimizing packaging waste and ensuring therapeutic effectiveness.

Implementation Method 1

a score marking can facilitate the division by lowering the stress required to initiate the crack

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectStress concentration:

Implementation Method 2

failure occurs by a mechanism known as ductile failure: unlike a brittle material, the material deforms under the effect of stress but failure does not occur when the ultimate resistance is reached

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDuctile failure:

Implementation Method 3

The material does not literally break but tears as the result of the formation of a stable crack which does not propagate spontaneously but under the effect of an additional stress

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPlastic deformation: Plasticity

Data Source

PatentUS20260102336A1Veterinary Soft-Chewable Product and Process for the Manufacture Thereof

Publication Date: 2026.04.16 VIRBAC SA

AI summary

A soft-chewable product (1) for oral administration, having at least one pair of score markings (5, 6) configured to favor a division of the product into doses (1a, 1b), the force required to divide the product (1) into doses (1a, 1b) along the at least one pair of score markings (5, 6) being between 10 and 60 N and the loss of mass during the division of the product (1) into doses (1a, 1b) being less than 0.5%.