Spring-Driven Plunger Apparatus for Controlled IOL Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing delivery devices for viscous substances or objects, such as intraocular lenses, require high force and precision, often leading to operator fatigue and risk of ocular injury due to sudden force drops and mechanical complexity, especially in manually operated screw-based devices.
Innovation Solution
A plunger apparatus with a housing, a plunger, a source of stored mechanical energy, and a rotatable element that allows controlled release through a pneumatic or spring-driven mechanism, enabling a consistent and controlled force application with reduced operator effort and improved precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a manually operated screw-based delivery device is used, then the delivery speed is reduced for better control, but the delivery time increases and operator fatigue increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual screw-based mechanical system with a spring-driven automatic plunger mechanism. The spring provides controlled mechanical energy to drive the plunger forward at a consistent speed, eliminating the need for manual rotation and significantly reducing delivery time while maintaining precision through the spring's controlled expansion characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring is pre-loaded before use, storing mechanical energy in advance. This preliminary action allows the plunger to be driven automatically during delivery without requiring continuous manual input during the actual delivery process, thus reducing delivery time while maintaining control.
2Measurement precision
If a manually operated screw-based delivery device is used, then the delivery precision is improved, but the device complexity increases due to rotational mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex rotational screw mechanism from the delivery system, replacing it with a simple linear spring-driven plunger. This removes unnecessary mechanical complexity while retaining delivery precision through the spring's controlled mechanical energy release.
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: a spring for energy storage and controlled force application, a plunger for linear motion, and a nozzle for delivery. This segmentation simplifies each component's function and reduces overall mechanical complexity compared to an integrated screw-based system.
3Ease of operation
If a spring-driven or electrically driven delivery mechanism is used, then the operator's hand is freed to assist in insertion, but the device weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces heavy electric or hydraulic drive systems with a lightweight spring-based mechanical system. The spring provides sufficient mechanical energy for delivery without requiring motors, batteries, or complex control systems, thus maintaining operator convenience while minimizing device weight.
4Force
If high force is applied to push the lens through the nozzle, then the delivery force is sufficient, but the risk of ocular injury increases due to sudden force drops
Solution Approach 1:
The spring is pre-loaded to store mechanical energy that provides a controlled, progressive force during delivery. This beforehand energy storage ensures consistent force application throughout the delivery process, preventing sudden force drops that could cause ocular injury, while still providing sufficient force to push the lens through the nozzle.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-driven mechanism provides dynamic, adaptive force application that automatically adjusts to the resistance encountered during delivery. As the lens moves through the nozzle, the spring's expansion rate and force output naturally modulate, maintaining optimal force levels without sudden changes, thereby reducing injury risk.
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 controlled and efficient delivery of viscous substances or objects with reduced operator fatigue and improved precision, allowing for one-handed operation and minimizing the risk of ocular injury during procedures like intraocular lens implantation.
Implementation Method 1
a source of stored mechanical energy for providing a force for driving the movement of the plunger in the axial direction relative to the housing; wherein the source of stored mechanical energy comprises a spring
Implementation Method 2
The friction between the lens and the nozzle of an IOL injector can be high and, depending on the size and type of the lens, the delivery plunger may therefore have to be driven with a correspondingly high force
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(b)
Figure 2(a)~2(b)
Figure 3(a)~3(b)
AI summary
Plunger apparatus comprising a housing, a plunger, a source of stored mechanical energy, a rotatable element and an actuator. Rotation of the rotatable element provides a controlled release of the plunger for the movement of the plunger, under force provided by the source of stored mechanical energy. The actuator allows operation, by an operator, of the plunger apparatus to induce rotation of the rotatable element relative to the housing to provide a controlled release of the plunger for axial movement of the plunger under the force provided by the source of stored mechanical energy.