Wave Spring Syringe Micro Pump for Compact Battery-Free Infusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional syringe pumps are bulky, making them difficult to port and increasing the risk of mechanical damage during use, and are often electrically powered, limiting portability.
Innovation Solution
A removable syringe micro pump with a wave spring that is compact, allowing it to fit within the syringe's barrel and operate without external moving parts, using a compressible wave spring to drive the plunger seal and manage infusion duration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional mechanical syringe pump is used to accommodate the plunger range of motion, then the plunger can be mechanically actuated, but the overall length of the device increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The wave spring is nested within the syringe barrel, with the plunger seal moving through the hollow interior of the wave spring. This allows the pump mechanism to be contained within the syringe itself rather than requiring an external housing that accommodates the full plunger stroke.
Solution Approach 2:
The wave spring uses a three-dimensional coiled structure that expands and contracts along its longitudinal axis while maintaining a compact radial footprint. This allows the mechanism to achieve the necessary linear displacement (plunger stroke) without increasing the overall device length proportionally.
2Ease of operation
If the syringe pump housing is made long enough to accommodate plunger actuation, then mechanical function is achieved, but portability and resistance to mechanical damage are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By nesting the wave spring inside the syringe barrel and allowing the plunger seal to traverse through it, the mechanism is protected within the rigid syringe housing rather than being exposed in an extended external structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump mechanism is merged with the syringe structure itself, using the syringe barrel as part of the pump housing and the plunger seal as the actuating element, eliminating the need for a separate extended pump housing.
3Power
If electrical power sources are added to the syringe pump, then the pump can be powered, but weight and portability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The wave spring serves as both the power source and the actuating mechanism. By pre-compressing the wave spring, elastic potential energy is stored and automatically converted to kinetic energy to drive the plunger seal, eliminating the need for external electrical power sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical motor and power supply system is replaced with a purely mechanical spring-based system. The wave spring's elastic deformation and recovery provide the necessary mechanical work to actuate the plunger seal without requiring electrical energy conversion.
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
The solution provides a portable, compact, and reliable means of infusion that minimizes the risk of mechanical damage and eliminates the need for external power, allowing for discreet and efficient medication delivery.
Implementation Method 1
a wave spring nested within the pump housing and attached proximate to the base, the wave spring having a first position wherein the wave spring is compressed under tension
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3A~3D
AI summary
Provided is a system and method for a removable syringe micro pump. More specifically, the removable syringe micro pump includes a pump housing having a first end and opposite thereto an attaching end, and at least one sidewall there between, the housing having a base proximate to the first end and, the attaching end having an attacher structured and arranged to temporarily engage a syringe. At least one wave spring is nested within the housing and attached proximate to the base, the wave spring having a compressed first position wherein the wave spring is compressed under tension such that the initial height of the wave spring is disposed within the pump housing, the wave spring having a second extended position wherein, the release of tension extends the spring normally away from the pump housing. The wave spring has a diameter pre-selected to pass within a barrel of the engaged syringe. The wave spring further having a distal end structured and arranged to engage a plunger seal of the engaged syringe, wherein the release of tension between the first position and the second position permits the distal end of the wave spring to move the plunger seal towards a nozzle of the syringe. An associated method of use is also provided.