Switch Lock Member for Stable Power in Medicament Delivery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Patients face challenges in ensuring complete absorption of medicaments due to uncertainty about the duration of medicament delivery device application, leading to incomplete dose administration and poor adherence to prescribed medication schemes, which can result in prolonged or worsened health conditions and increased medical costs.

Innovation Solution

An electrical information device integrated into medicament delivery devices, utilizing a switch lock member for stable power supply and simple electrical switches, provides reliable monitoring and feedback through visual, audible, and tactile indications to ensure proper dosing and adherence, without altering the device's geometry or dimensions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the medicament delivery device is held against the dose delivery site for a longer duration, then the completeness of medicament absorption is improved, but the patient convenience and compliance deteriorate due to unnecessarily long application time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of medicament absorptionVSAvoidpatient convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism through visual indicators (windows showing different colored backgrounds) and audible signals that communicate the medicament delivery status to the patient. The device transitions through distinct states (medicament present, delivery in progress, delivery complete with time delay) and provides corresponding feedback signals. This allows patients to understand when to remove the device without requiring extended application time, thus maintaining absorption completeness while improving convenience and compliance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Device complexity

If no monitoring system is implemented, then the device complexity is reduced, but the patient adherence to prescribed medication schemes deteriorates due to lack of feedback and confirmation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice simplicityVSAvoidpatient adherence
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring system provides comprehensive feedback including visual indicators showing medicament presence, delivery progress, and completion status with time delay information. Audible signals confirm key events such as delivery completion and time delay expiration. This feedback loop ensures patients understand the device status and adhere to the prescribed medication scheme, while the system remains relatively simple using basic electronic components, LEDs, and acoustic elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If an electrical monitoring system is added to the medicament delivery device, then the patient compliance and dosing accuracy are improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedosing accuracyVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The electrical monitoring system uses straightforward components including switches, LEDs, and acoustic elements to provide dosing confirmation and time delay information. The system monitors basic parameters such as medicament presence, delivery completion, and time elapsed, translating these into simple visual and audible signals. This approach achieves improved dosing accuracy and compliance without requiring complex electronics or sophisticated processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs color changes in the visual indicators (different colored backgrounds visible through windows) to communicate device status and medicament information. This uses simple optical properties rather than complex electronic displays, maintaining device simplicity while providing effective feedback for dosing confirmation and status indication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Data Source

PatentEP3426324B1Electrical information device for communicating information related to a medicament delivery
Publication Date: 2023.08.30 SHL MEDICAL AG
  • EP3426324B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1c
  • EP3426324B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP3426324B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3b

AI summary

An electrical information device configured to communicate information related to a medicament delivery performed by a medicament delivery device is presented. The device includes at least one information communication unit configured to communicate the information, and at least one power providing arrangement including at least one power source, at least one electrical switch and at least one switch lock member. The at least one switch lock member being configured to be movable in an axial direction from a first position to a second position by an axial movement of at least one triggering member of the medicament delivery device, to cause a change of state of the at least one electrical switch in the second position, thereby providing electrical power to the at least one information communication unit from the at least one power source, and to be locked in the second position, such that the change of state of the electrical switch is maintained.