Transcutaneous Sensor Deployment Device for Recyclable Disassembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional deployment devices for transcutaneous sensors are typically single-use and disposable, leading to wastefulness and environmental harm due to the integration of dissimilar materials that cannot be recycled by standard recycling systems.
Innovation Solution
Design of a deployment device with features that allow components made of dissimilar materials to be conveniently separated after use, including a housing that defaults to a locked state and requires multiple operations to open, ensuring safe and intentional disassembly for recycling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If deployment devices are made as single-use disposable devices, then device reliability and safety are improved, but environmental harm and waste increase due to integration of dissimilar materials that cannot be recycled
Solution Approach 1:
The deployment device is divided into separable components including a housing, plunger, frame, and cap made of different materials. These components can be detached from one another, allowing metal parts to be separated from plastic parts for appropriate recycling streams while maintaining the reliability benefits of a disposable device design.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is designed to enable recovery and recycling of valuable materials after use. By incorporating separation mechanisms that allow dissimilar materials to be conveniently divided, the system transitions from complete disposal to selective recovery, reducing environmental harm while maintaining the safety advantages of single-use devices.
2Adaptability or versatility
If deployment devices use integrated dissimilar materials, then device functionality is improved, but recyclability deteriorates because standard recycling systems cannot process mixed materials
Solution Approach 1:
The device maintains its functional integration during use but incorporates separation features that enable post-use segmentation. The housing, plunger, frame, and cap are designed to be conveniently separated into material-specific groups, allowing each component to be recycled through appropriate streams while preserving the versatility benefits of using dissimilar materials for different functional requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The design extracts the ability to separate materials from the manufacturing process and places it in the disposal phase. By incorporating user-accessible separation mechanisms, the device allows dissimilar materials to be taken out and sorted for recycling after use, resolving the conflict between using diverse materials for functionality and the difficulty of recycling mixed materials.
3Ease of manufacture
If deployment devices are designed for easy disassembly, then recyclability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional separation mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into distinct components (housing, plunger, frame, cap) that can be easily separated. This segmentation enables recyclability without requiring complex disassembly mechanisms, as the components are designed to separate through simple user actions while maintaining overall device functionality during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from a static integrated structure during use to a dynamically separable structure after use. By incorporating reversible connections and separation mechanisms that are simple to operate, the device achieves easy disassembly for recycling without significantly increasing complexity during the functional phase.
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
Facilitates the separation of metal and plastic components, reducing waste and enabling recycling, while maintaining device functionality and safety during use.
Implementation Method 1
a spring confined within the housing by the cap, wherein the plunger and the frame are resiliently connected to one another via the spring, and wherein the spring urges the frame to move in a first direction relative to the plunger
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3D
Figure 4~6
AI summary
A deployment device for deploying a transcutaneous sensor in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology includes a housing including a plunger, a frame, and a cap. The deployment device further includes a spring and a carrier within the housing. The frame defines a deployment window through which the carrier is configured to move the transcutaneous device into contact with a target surface of a subject. This can occur at least partially in response to the frame moving in a second direction relative to the plunger, the second direction being opposite the first direction. The deployment device also include a stop that, when engaged, is configured block separation of the cap from the plunger, thereby enabling the spring to be removed from the housing. The stop is configured to disengage at least partially in response to the frame moving in the second direction relative to the plunger.