Slotted Needle Shield Remover Radial Clamping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional needle shield removers for medicament delivery devices are costly and unreliable due to their seamless stainless steel construction and reliance on weak flexible gripping members, which may fail to engage the needle shield correctly, especially under varying tolerances and handling conditions.
Innovation Solution
A radially flexible needle shield remover with a metal tubular body featuring a slot extending from the distal to the proximal end, allowing radial clamping force exertion on the needle shield, utilizing a rolled metal sheet for cost-effectiveness and incorporating rigid gripping members with punched structures for enhanced friction and engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a seamless stainless steel tube is used for the needle shield remover, then the structural integrity is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle shield remover body is segmented by introducing a slot that extends along its length, dividing the seamless tube into two flexible halves while maintaining overall structural integrity. This segmentation allows the use of less expensive materials and simplifies manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle shield remover employs a flexible tubular body made from a rolled metal sheet with a slot, creating thin-walled flexible structures that can deform radially. This approach reduces material costs compared to thick-walled seamless tubes while maintaining sufficient strength through elastic deformation.
2Ease of operation
If flexible gripping members are used to engage the needle shield, then the ease of operation is improved, but the gripping force is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping mechanism transitions from relying on material flexibility to utilizing controlled radial deformation parameters. The slot-enabled tubular body can radially deform to expand gripping surfaces, increasing contact area and friction force between the gripping members and needle shield while maintaining ease of operation.
3Reliability
If good tolerances are required for gripping members to engage the needle shield, then the reliability of engagement is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping mechanism is made dynamic through the slot that enables radial deformation. Instead of relying on precise static positioning, the flexible tubular body can adapt its internal diameter to accommodate variations in needle shield dimensions, ensuring reliable engagement across a wider tolerance range.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses variable geometric parameters enabled by the slot, allowing the tubular body to change its radial dimensions during operation. This dynamic parameter adjustment compensates for manufacturing tolerances in both the remover and needle shield, ensuring consistent engagement reliability.
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 provides a cost-effective and reliable needle shield removal mechanism with a stronger clamping force, ensuring consistent engagement and removal of the needle shield, even under varying conditions, by utilizing a radially flexible tubular body and rigid gripping members.
Implementation Method 1
at least the distal part of the body may flex radially outwards to exert a radially inwardly directed clamping force on a needle shield accommodated in the body
Implementation Method 2
incorporating rigid gripping members with punched structures for enhanced friction and engagement
Data Source
AI summary
A needle shield remover for a medicament delivery device is presented that has a metal tubular body, a proximal part, a distal part, and a substantially circular cross-section, where the tubular body is arranged with a slot extending from a distal end of the body, at least half the length of the body, towards a proximal end, such that at least the distal part of the body may flex radially outwards to exert a radially inwardly directed clamping force on a needle shield accommodated by the body.