Medical Syringe Ratchet Mechanism for Fixed-Volume Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical syringes face challenges in efficiently dispensing relatively high-viscosity fluids to target sites within patients, particularly in delivering fixed amounts without mechanical assistance and maintaining fluid integrity during storage, shipping, and use.
Innovation Solution
A medical syringe design featuring a barrel with a ratchet mechanism, comprising a toothed rack on the plunger and a pawl on the barrel, allowing for incremental and controlled dispensing of fixed amounts of high-viscosity fluid, along with pre-filled and sealed configurations to prevent leaks and breaches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional syringe is used to dispense high-viscosity fluid, then the syringe structure is simple, but the syringe cannot enable repeated dispensing of fixed amounts without mechanical assistance
Solution Approach 1:
The ratchet mechanism segments the plunger's movement into discrete, fixed increments corresponding to individual teeth on the rack. Each tooth represents a predetermined dosage unit, allowing the syringe to dispense fixed amounts repeatedly without mechanical assistance. The segmentation of motion into quantized steps enables precise control of high-viscosity fluid delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The ratchet mechanism introduces dynamic, reversible engagement between the pawl and rack teeth. The pawl can engage with teeth to prevent backward motion while allowing forward motion, creating a one-way locking system that enables repeated dispensing cycles. This dynamic engagement allows the syringe to maintain fixed dosage increments while permitting controlled repositioning of the plunger.
2Loss of time
If the syringe is pre-filled with high-viscosity fluid, then the fluid is ready for immediate use, but the syringe may experience leaks and breaches during storage and shipping
Solution Approach 1:
The syringe is pre-filled with high-viscosity fluid and sealed with closure caps at the proximal and distal ends before sterilization and packaging. This preliminary sealing action prevents leaks and breaches during storage and shipping by creating a closed system that maintains fluid integrity until the moment of use, when the proximal cap is removed and the plunger is inserted.
3Measurement precision
If a ratchet mechanism is added to enable repeated dispensing, then fixed amount control is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ratchet mechanism components (rack teeth integrated into the plunger and pawl attached to the barrel) are merged with the existing syringe structure. The rack is formed as part of the plunger assembly, and the pawl is mounted to the barrel, creating an integrated system where the ratchet functionality is combined with the dispensing mechanism. This merging reduces the number of separate parts and simplifies manufacturing while maintaining precise fixed amount control.
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
Enables precise and repeated dispensing of high-viscosity fluids, such as medical adhesives, to target sites without external mechanical aids, while ensuring the syringe remains sealed and leak-proof throughout its lifecycle.
Implementation Method 1
A ratchet is configured to enable repeated dispensing of a fixed amount of the relatively high-viscosity fluid from the syringe to a target site within a patient. The ratchet includes a toothed rack extending along the plunger body and including a plurality of teeth spaced apart from one another along the plunger body, and a pawl connected to the barrel and engageable with the toothed rack.
Implementation Method 2
A proximal closure cap is removably secured to the proximal end of the barrel body and configured to close and seal the barrel passage the proximal end thereof. A distal closure cap is removably secured to the distal end of the barrel body and configured to close and seal the barrel passage and the distal end thereof.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical syringe includes a ratchet for use during dispensing. The medical syringe, by virtue of the ratchet, enables repeated dispensing of a fixed amount of a relatively high-viscosity fluid to a target site within a patient. The medical syringe may be pre-filled with fluid and the fluid maybe sealed within the medical syringe. Accordingly, the medical syringe is configured to resist leaks and/or breaches that may occur as a result of manufacturing, sterilization, shipping, and/or storage.