Vial Adaptor Keyed Hub Prevents Insulin Concentration Errors
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Solution Overview
Problem
The risk of incorrect insulin concentration transfer due to the similarity in design of vials for different insulin concentrations, leading to potential overdose or hypoglycemia.
Innovation Solution
A vial adaptor with a needle opening and a cleaning passageway, designed to prevent incorrect needle insertion by using a keyed hub and shroud to block access through the cleaning passageway, ensuring the correct medication concentration is withdrawn.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If vials for different insulin concentrations are designed with similar structures to maintain consistency, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to risk of incorrect concentration transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by providing vial adaptors with different configurations (e.g., different numbers of fingers, different finger arrangements) corresponding to different insulin concentrations. This asymmetric design makes it physically impossible to use the wrong adaptor with the wrong vial, thereby preventing incorrect concentration transfer while maintaining ease of operation through intuitive matching.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a vial adaptor as an intermediary component between the syringe and the vial. The adaptor includes specifically configured fingers that interact with the vial's structural features (flange, shoulder, neck) to provide a mechanical interface that ensures correct concentration matching. This intermediary layer adds a safety mechanism without requiring changes to the fundamental syringe-vial interaction.
2Reliability
If a vial adaptor with multiple fingers is used to secure the vial, then reliability is improved by preventing incorrect insertion, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the securing function into multiple independent fingers (e.g., first finger, second finger, third finger) that can be distributed around the vial. Each finger independently engages with specific features of the vial (flange, shoulder, neck), providing redundant security. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high reliability through distributed mechanical engagement rather than a single complex locking mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A vial adaptor and needle assembly are disclosed for use with a vial containing a medication, such as insulin. The vial adaptor may include a needle opening configured to receive a needle of a geometrically corresponding needle assembly to withdraw the medication from the vial in a secured manner. The vial adaptor may also include a cleaning passageway configured to receive a cleaning device to clean the vial.