Pre-loaded Syringe Plunger Stop for Dosing Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
In emergency medical situations, there is a high risk of medication errors due to the complexity of calculating and administering injectable drugs under stress conditions, particularly in environments where such situations are infrequent.
Innovation Solution
A pre-loaded syringe with an adjustable plunger stop and color-coded dosage limiting sleeve that allows for easy selection of the appropriate dose based on patient weight, reducing the need for complex calculations and minimizing errors in medication administration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pre-loaded syringes are used to simplify medication administration, then medication errors are reduced, but the device complexity increases due to the adjustable plunger stop mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The syringe is pre-loaded with a specific volume of medication and includes a pre-set plunger stop that limits the maximum distance the plunger can be pushed. This preliminary configuration ensures that the correct dose is delivered automatically when the plunger is pushed, eliminating the need for manual dose calculation and reducing medication errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger stop mechanism automatically limits the plunger travel distance to deliver the precise dose without requiring the user to perform calculations or make adjustments. The device serves itself by mechanically controlling the dose delivery, reducing reliance on user knowledge and skill.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual dose calculation is performed under stress conditions, then flexibility in dosing is maintained, but the risk of medication errors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plunger stop is pre-configured to limit plunger travel to the exact distance needed to deliver the correct dose. This preliminary setup maintains dosing flexibility for different patient needs while eliminating the need for stress-prone manual calculations during administration.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger stop acts as an intermediary mechanical element that translates the desired dose into a physical limit on plunger travel. This mediator ensures accurate dose delivery without requiring the user to perform complex calculations under stress.
3Measurement precision
If the plunger stop limits plunger motion in both directions, then dosing precision is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to restricted plunger movement
Solution Approach 1:
The plunger stop is designed to limit plunger motion in only one direction (the direction that would deliver excessive medication) while allowing full freedom of motion in the opposite direction. This localized constraint maintains dosing precision while preserving ease of operation for the intended use.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of constraining the plunger in both directions, the design inverts the approach by only constraining the plunger in the direction that would cause overdose, while leaving the reverse direction completely free. This inverted constraint strategy achieves precision without sacrificing operational ease.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices for metering and delivering a desired dose of medication from a syringe are described. The devices comprise dosage limiting sleeve adjustably disposed around a syringe body, wherein the alignment of the dosage limiting sleeve relative to the syringe body indicates the dose to be administered by depressing a plunger until the dosage limiting sleeve is engaged.