Self-Injection Device With Adjustable Needle Depth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing syringes are limited to delivering medicaments to only one tissue layer, requiring separate inventory for intradermal, junctional, and subcutaneous injections, and lack effective safety mechanisms to prevent needle sticks.
Innovation Solution
A self-injection device with an adjustable injection depth and a passive safety mechanism, featuring a compressible reservoir and a rotatable housing that allows for intradermal, junctional, or subcutaneous injections, and incorporates a septum to prevent accidental needle exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing syringes are used for each tissue layer, then injection delivery to specific tissue layers is achieved, but inventory complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The syringe is designed with an adjustable needle length mechanism that allows a single syringe to perform multiple functions: delivering medicament to intradermal, junctional, and subcutaneous tissue layers. The needle length can be adjusted between 1mm and 4mm to reach different tissue depths, eliminating the need for separate syringes for each tissue layer while maintaining reliable delivery accuracy.
2Ease of operation
If needle exposure is permitted for injection, then medicament delivery is achieved, but risk of needle sticks and pathogen transmission increases
Solution Approach 1:
The syringe incorporates a dynamic needle shield mechanism that automatically adjusts needle exposure based on injection phase. During injection, the shield retracts to allow needle exposure for medicament delivery. After injection, the shield automatically advances to cover the needle, preventing accidental needle sticks and pathogen transmission. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between ease of operation and safety.
3Ease of operation
If needle is kept exposed for easy access, then injection operation is simplified, but safety against accidental needle sticks deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The syringe design includes a preliminary safety action where the needle shield is positioned to cover the needle before injection begins. The user intentionally retracts the shield to expose the needle for injection. After injection, the shield automatically returns to cover the needle. This preliminary and automatic safety action ensures needle protection is maintained unless intentionally opened for injection, resolving the contradiction between accessibility and safety.
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 flexible delivery to multiple tissue layers with a single device while ensuring safety by automatically retracting the needle after use, reducing inventory costs and preventing pathogen transmission.
Implementation Method 1
A compressible reservoir is connected to the housing and in fluid communication with the needle such that compressing the reservoir delivers medicament from the reservoir to the needle and moves the needle from the first position to the second position
Data Source
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AI summary
A self-injection device (101) for delivering a medicament includes a housing (111), and a needle (103) connected to the housing (111). A compressible reservoir (121) is connected to the housing (111) and is in fluid communication with a needle (103) such that compressing the reservoir (121) delivers medicament from the reservoir (121) to the needle (103) and moves the needle (103) from the first position to the second position. A platform (171) is disposed within the housing (111) about which the housing (111) is rotatable between a plurality of positions. Each of the positions corresponds to a different distance the needle (103) is moved to the second position during an injection to provide a variable injection depth. The needle (103) is withdrawn into the housing (111) after an injection without requiring manual manipulation by the user, thereby preventing needle sticks and other accidents.