Vial-Closure Storage Cap for Mixing Sleep Aid Ingredients
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dietary supplements fail to effectively combine magnesium pidolate, melatonin, tryptophan, and 5-hydroxytryptophan in a form that is easily administered, particularly for individuals with difficulty swallowing solid formulations, and lack a mechanism for immediate mixing before use.
Innovation Solution
A 'vial-closure storage cap' system where the vial contains a liquid magnesium pidolate solution and the closure storage cap, sealed airtight, contains a solid mixture of melatonin, tryptophan, and 5-hydroxytryptophan with a breaking mechanism allowing them to mix just prior to use, forming a single-dose oral solution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If solid formulations (tablets, capsules, granules) are used for dietary supplements, then the active ingredients can be stored stably, but individuals with difficulty swallowing have trouble administering them
Solution Approach 1:
The dietary supplement is divided into two separate components: a liquid magnesium pidolate solution in a vial and solid melatonin/tryptophan/5-hydroxytryptophan in a closure storage cap. This segmentation allows the liquid component to be easy to administer while the solid component provides stable storage, resolving the contradiction between ease of administration and formulation stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure storage cap acts as an intermediary device that bridges the liquid vial and the solid ingredients. It contains the solid ingredients in a sealed compartment and provides a breaking mechanism that releases them into the liquid solution, facilitating easy administration without requiring the user to handle complex solid formulations.
2Reliability
If multiple active ingredients are combined in a single formulation, then the supplement provides comprehensive benefits, but the ingredients may interact or degrade before use
Solution Approach 1:
The multiple active ingredients are segmented into two groups: magnesium pidolate in the liquid phase and melatonin/tryptophan/5-hydroxytryptophan in the solid phase. This segmentation prevents unwanted interactions and degradation between ingredients during storage, while the breaking mechanism ensures complete mixing just before use, maintaining both stability and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The solid ingredients are pre-loaded into the closure storage cap in a stable, dry state. The breaking mechanism is pre-configured to release these ingredients into the liquid solution at the moment of use, ensuring that mixing occurs only when needed and preventing premature interactions or degradation.
3Productivity
If a single-dose oral solution is prepared in advance, then it is ready for immediate consumption, but the active ingredients may lose effectiveness over time
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid magnesium pidolate solution is prepared in advance and stored in the vial, ready for use. The solid ingredients are pre-loaded in the closure storage cap. Just before consumption, the breaking mechanism releases the solid ingredients into the liquid, creating a freshly mixed single-dose solution that is both immediately ready and maintains full ingredient effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static separated state (solid and liquid components stored separately) to a dynamic mixed state (ingredients combined in the liquid solution) at the moment of use. This dynamic approach ensures the solution is prepared fresh for each dose, maintaining ingredient effectiveness while providing immediate readiness for consumption.
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
This system provides a direct and safe administration route for a single-dose oral solution that reduces sleep onset time, improves biological synchronization, and reduces fatigue by effectively combining the active ingredients immediately before consumption.
Implementation Method 1
magnesium suppresses the nervous and neuromuscular brain excitability by inhibiting N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitters
Implementation Method 2
Melatonin plays a critical role in the regulation of sleep cycle by causing drowsiness and lowering body temperature
Implementation Method 3
tryptophan is converted into its 5-hydroxy derivative, which through an enzymatic decarboxylation reaction is converted to serotonin, which in turn is metabolized to melatonin
Implementation Method 4
the closure storage cap includes a suitable breaking mechanism, which allows the complete mixing of the solid preparation of melatonin, tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan with the solution of magnesium pidolate
Data Source
Figure 1a~2
AI summary
Dietary supplement comprising melatonin, tryptophan, 5-hydroxytryptophan and magnesium pidolate as a single-dose oral solution for direct consumption, useful for reducing the time until onset of sleep, improving biological de-synchronization and reducing fatigue. The nutritional supplement is characterized in that melatonin, tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan are kept in solid form in the closure storage cap of a container based on the "closure storage cap - vial" system, while magnesium pidolate is kept in the vial of said container in liquid form. The closure storage cap is hermetically sealed onto the mouth of the vial through a thread, furthermore, the closure storage cap includes a suitable breaking mechanism, which allows the complete mixing of the solid preparation of melatonin, tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan with the solution of magnesium pidolate just prior to use.