Variable Dosing Injection Device Reducing Residual Medicament Waste
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional injection devices for medicaments often result in residual volumes of medicament after use, as they are designed for fixed dosages, leading to inefficiencies and waste, as patients may require different doses, and existing devices lack flexibility in volume adjustment.
Innovation Solution
An injection device with a variable dosing mechanism that includes a housing for a fluid reservoir, an injection conduit, a firing mechanism, and a volume setting mechanism, allowing for the selection of different volumes and fractions of medicament to be delivered, with a dose setting mechanism that adjusts the amount injected, and a design that prevents resetting after use, making it a single-use injector.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If conventional injection devices are designed for fixed dosages, then the device structure is simple and reliable, but residual volumes of medicament remain after use leading to waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the plunger rod position adjustable relative to the syringe barrel through a mechanism involving a slot, stop, and spring. This allows the device to adapt its dosing volume dynamically by selecting different plunger starting positions, thereby eliminating residual medicament waste while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If injection devices are designed for single use or refill after each injection, then the device is simple to manufacture, but patients requiring different doses lack flexibility in volume adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the dosing adjustment function into discrete selectable positions along the syringe barrel. The plunger rod can be positioned at multiple predetermined locations, each corresponding to a specific dose volume. This segmented approach provides volume adjustment flexibility similar to multiple devices while simplifying manufacturing compared to fully continuous adjustment mechanisms.
3Productivity
If the entire loaded dosage is injected in conventional devices, then the firing mechanism is simple, but inefficiency and waste occur when patients require different doses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-positioning the plunger rod at specific locations along the syringe barrel before injection. Each position corresponds to a predetermined dose volume. The firing mechanism then simply expels the medicament from the initial plunger position to the end of the barrel, delivering the exact required dose without waste. This preliminary positioning approach improves productivity while keeping the firing mechanism itself relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
An injection device for injecting medicament in a patient comprises a housing configured to house a fluid reservoir that has one of a plurality of volumes of medicament. An injection conduit fluidly coupled to the fluid reservoir defines a fluid pathway from the fluid reservoir to the patient. A firing mechanism is coupled to the fluid reservoir and is configured to expel the medicament from the fluid reservoir through the injection conduit. A volume setting mechanism is coupled to the firing mechanism and is configured to select the one of the plurality of volumes of medicament for the firing mechanism to expel. A dose setting mechanism is configured to select all or a fraction of the one of the plurality of volumes of medicament that is injected from the injection conduit when the firing mechanism is actuated.