Universal Medicament Cartridge Coupling With Sterile Seal Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medicament packaging is limited to specific delivery devices, requiring costly and time-consuming validation processes, reducing choice and increasing costs for new devices and packages.
Innovation Solution
A cartridge design with a coupling element and seal arrangement that allows compatibility with multiple dosing devices, maintaining sterility and enabling a single primary package type for various delivery systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a cartridge is designed for compatibility with multiple dosing devices, then device versatility is improved, but ensuring sterility and proper sealing becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
A seal arrangement acts as an intermediary component between the cartridge and dosing device. This seal arrangement includes a seal member that forms a seal around the release member of the dosing device, enabling sterile connection without direct exposure of the release member to non-sterile environments. The seal arrangement mediates the interaction between cartridge and device while maintaining sterility.
Solution Approach 2:
The release member is extracted from direct exposure to the external environment by being enclosed within the seal arrangement. The seal member isolates the release member, allowing it to maintain sterility while still performing its function of releasing the sealing element during device operation.
2Reliability
If multiple primary packages are developed for different delivery devices, then device-specific performance is optimized, but validation costs and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge is designed with universal compatibility to work with multiple types of dosing devices through a standardized coupling mechanism. The coupling element engages with corresponding engagement parts on different devices, allowing a single cartridge design to serve multiple functions across different delivery systems, thereby reducing validation requirements.
3Reliability
If a seal arrangement is added to maintain sterility, then sterility preservation is improved, but the number of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal arrangement is integrated into the cartridge structure, merging the sealing function with the existing cartridge components. The seal member is positioned within the cartridge to form a seal around the release member, combining multiple functions (containment, sealing, and sterility maintenance) into a unified structure rather than adding separate discrete components.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4(a)~4(c)
AI summary
A cartridge (100) for packaging a medicament and being suitable for use with multiple different types of dosing device is described, together with dosing devices and adaptors for dosing devices. The cartridge includes a generally tubular body (102) having an interior cavity (104), a closure member (106) disposed at a distal end of the body and comprising a sealing element (128), a piston member (108) disposed in the cavity to contain the medicament between the piston member and the sealing element (128), a coupling element (114) disposed at the distal end of the body for coupling the cartridge to a dosing device (200) or to an adaptor for a dosing device, and a seal arrangement (126, 129) for receiving a sealing element release member (214) of the dosing device or adaptor. The coupling element (114) is arranged for engagement with an engagement part (220) of the dosing device or adaptor to clip the cartridge (100) to the dosing device or adaptor (200) upon insertion of the cartridge to the dosing device or adaptor, and the seal arrangement (126, 129) is disposed distally with respect to the sealing element (128) and is arranged to form a seal around the release member (214; 254) when the cartridge is coupled to the dosing device or adaptor.