Substance Delivery Cartridge Segmentation for Dose Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing nebulizer systems face challenges in providing ease of use and accommodating varying medicinal substance dispensing regimes, particularly in ensuring controlled and efficient delivery of medicinal substances in aerosol form, with existing multi-dose systems often resulting in substance wastage and contamination risks.
Innovation Solution
A substance delivery module comprising a plurality of moveable substance containers and pistons, with each container mounted for cooperation with a dedicated piston, featuring cutting elements and an actuator to ensure maximum substance displacement and delivery, along with an anti-microbial surface for the apparatus to prevent contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single liquid reservoir is used in a nebulizer, then the device structure is simple, but dose control is poor and substance wastage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The single liquid reservoir is segmented into multiple separate substance containers, each dedicated to a specific substance or dose. This segmentation enables precise control over the amount and type of substance delivered, while each container can be individually managed to prevent wastage.
Solution Approach 2:
The nebulizer device is designed with a universal platform that can accommodate multiple different substance containers simultaneously. The system can deliver different medicinal substances through a single device, providing multi-functionality while maintaining dose control through the dedicated container-piston arrangement.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sealed vials are mounted on a support member for sequential dispensing, then dose control is improved, but ease of use deteriorates and contamination risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple substance containers are merged into a single integrated cartridge assembly with dedicated pistons for each container. This combining approach maintains the dose control benefits of multiple containers while simplifying the user experience through a unified, pre-assembled unit that requires no manual manipulation of individual vials.
Solution Approach 2:
The substance containers are pre-mounted with their dedicated pistons and sealing membranes in a preliminary assembled state within the cartridge. This preliminary action eliminates the need for users to manually handle, seal, or assemble multiple vials during operation, significantly improving ease of use while maintaining sterile conditions.
3Productivity
If pistons displace the internal volume of substance containers, then substance delivery efficiency is improved, but contamination risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The substance containers with their dedicated pistons are designed as disposable cartridges. Each cartridge can be used once to deliver the full internal volume of its substance containers efficiently, then discarded. This approach maximizes delivery efficiency while eliminating contamination risk, as the disposable nature ensures no cross-contamination between uses or substances.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing membrane is extracted as a separate, dedicated component for each substance container, positioned between the piston and the container contents. This extraction creates a barrier that allows the piston to displace the full internal volume of substance efficiently while preventing contamination, as the membrane can be individually sealed for each container.
4Adaptability or versatility
If different medicinal substances are contained in separate containers within the same module, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The module is designed as a universal platform that can accommodate multiple different substance containers simultaneously. Each container is dedicated to a specific substance but all containers share the same interface and mounting mechanism, providing adaptability for different substances without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The module is segmented into independent container-piston units, each capable of holding a different medicinal substance. This segmentation allows for easy substitution and configuration of different substances while maintaining a standardized, manageable structure that does not become overly complex despite accommodating multiple substance types.
Data Source
AI summary
A substance delivery module and apparatus for delivering substance in aerosol form are disclosed. The substance delivery module includes a plurality of substance containers and a plurality of pistons, with each substance container being mounted in the module for cooperation with a dedicated piston. Another substance delivery module is disclosed that includes a piston defining a delivery axis and a substance container, moveably mounted with respect to the piston. The substance container is moveable along the delivery axis and may, for example, be moved toward and onto the piston. Either of the substance delivery modules may be assembled with an aerosol generator and an aerosol delivery conduit in fluid communication with the aerosol generator to form an apparatus for delivering substance in aerosol form. The apparatus may further include a control module.