Portable Syringe Pump Rod Guide for Quiet Waterproof Infusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electromechanical drug infusion pumps are complex, costly, heavy, noisy, and not suitable for compact, portable, and waterproof designs, which limits their usability and industrial scalability.
Innovation Solution
A portable electromechanical pump design featuring a rod with a non-circular cross-section sliding within a complementary guide member, a plastic casing, and a lightweight metal support structure, combined with a plastic ferrule and gasket for syringe engagement, to reduce weight, noise, and enhance hydraulic sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a syringe is rigidly secured in a pump, then the syringe can be advanced at high speeds, but the syringe cannot be exchanged quickly between patients
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into a reusable pump body and a disposable syringe cartridge assembly. The syringe is secured within a cartridge that can be quickly removed and replaced as a single unit, enabling high-speed exchange between patients while maintaining rigid securing during infusion.
Solution Approach 2:
The syringe is nested within a cartridge housing that provides both secure mounting during operation and quick-release capability for exchange. The cartridge acts as an intermediate container that holds the syringe firmly during infusion but can be rapidly removed from the pump interface.
2Speed
If a syringe is rigidly secured in a pump, then the syringe can be advanced at high speeds, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the system into pump and cartridge components, the interface complexity is localized to the cartridge-pump connection rather than requiring complex internal mounting mechanisms within the pump body itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge with syringe is designed as a disposable component that is pre-assembled and discarded after single use. This eliminates the need for complex cleaning, sterilization, and reassembly mechanisms, reducing overall device complexity while enabling high-speed exchange.
3Reliability
If syringes are discarded after single use, then contamination risk is reduced, but waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the expensive reusable pump component from the inexpensive disposable cartridge. Only the cartridge containing the syringe is discarded, while the pump is reused. This minimizes waste of critical components while maintaining contamination prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge is designed as a low-cost disposable item that can be safely discarded after single use. By making the disposable component inexpensive and the reusable component valuable, the system optimizes the balance between contamination prevention and waste reduction.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
Portable pump (11) for drug infusion through a syringe (SR) removably engaged in the pump, said pump comprising an electromechanical unit (13) having a rod (15) which is longitudinally slidable within a guide member (17) and capable of exerting an axial thrust onto the plunger (SF) of the syringe engaged in the pump, wherein said rod (15) and said guide member (17) have a non-circular cross-section, whereby rotation of the rod (15) relative to the guide member (17) is prevented.