Spring-Activated Needle Carrier for Easier Medicament Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medicament injection devices require manual dexterity for needle attachment, posing challenges for patients with coordination issues, and there is a need for a mechanism to keep the needle separate from the medicament until injection is initiated.
Innovation Solution
A medicament delivery device with a pre-stressed spring mechanism that automatically inserts the needle into the medicament cartridge upon cap removal, eliminating the need for manual needle handling and reducing the risk of needle stick injuries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual needle attachment is used, then device simplicity is maintained, but ease of operation deteriorates for patients with poor coordination
Solution Approach 1:
The needle is pre-attached to the needle holder assembly during manufacturing, so that when the user receives the device, the needle is already secured and ready for use. This eliminates the need for the user to perform manual needle attachment, directly addressing the contradiction by maintaining device simplicity while dramatically improving ease of operation for patients with poor coordination.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If needle is kept separate from medicament, then safety is improved, but ease of operation worsens due to additional handling steps
Solution Approach 1:
The needle holder assembly with the pre-attached needle is merged with the medicament cartridge through an integration mechanism. The needle holder fits onto the cartridge with a friction fit and can be secured with a cap, creating a unified assembly that maintains needle separation from the medicament until injection while eliminating the need for separate handling steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle holder assembly acts as an intermediary component between the user and the medicament cartridge. It provides a standardized interface that simplifies the connection process and maintains safety by keeping the needle separate from the medicament until the moment of injection, thereby reducing needle stick injuries while improving ease of operation.
3Ease of operation
If pre-attached needle is used, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential needle-medicament contact before injection
Solution Approach 1:
The needle is pre-attached to the needle holder during manufacturing under controlled conditions, ensuring proper positioning and secure attachment. This preliminary action guarantees that the needle will only contact the medicament at the intended injection site, maintaining reliability while improving ease of operation for the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle holder assembly serves as an intermediary that maintains a controlled relationship between the needle and medicament cartridge. The friction fit and cap mechanism ensure that the needle remains separate from the medicament until injection, preventing premature contact while maintaining ease of operation through pre-attachment.
4Device complexity
If multiple handling steps are required, then device simplicity is maintained, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle is pre-attached to the needle holder during manufacturing, eliminating the need for users to perform separate needle attachment steps. This preliminary action directly reduces the time required for needle insertion while maintaining device simplicity, as the user only needs to attach the pre-assembled unit to the medicament cartridge.
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 device simplifies needle insertion and reduces user handling steps, enhancing safety and ease of use for patients with limited dexterity, while ensuring secure needle attachment and efficient medicament delivery.
Implementation Method 1
a pre-stressed spring connected to the needle holder and to the main body, wherein the pre-stressed spring is held by an activation element coupled to the cap prior to any movement of the cap in a distal direction from the medicament delivery device
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~3
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
A medicament delivery device comprising: a main body arranged to receive a medicament cartridge sealed with a penetrable barrier; a needle carrier carrying a needle; a cap removably coupled to the needle carrier, a pre-stressed spring connected to the needle carrier and to the main body, wherein the pre-stressed spring is held by an activation element coupled to the cap, wherein the activation element is arranged to release the spring when the cap is pulled in a distal direction from the device, thereby causing the needle carrier to move axially in a proximal direction.