Integrated Adhesive Liner and Needle Shield Removal for Wearable Injectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wearable injector devices face challenges in reliably and intuitively removing the needle shield and liner without complex manufacturing processes and user confusion, particularly due to the need for 'inside-out' peeling that requires perforations in the liner.
Innovation Solution
A drug delivery system with a needle shield remover featuring an elongated member that pivots from a first to a second position, coupled to the liner at an edge, allowing simultaneous removal of the needle shield and liner in a single step, eliminating the need for complex cuts or perforations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the needle shield remover is centrally positioned and used for inside-out removal, then the needle shield and liner can be removed simultaneously in a single step, but the liner requires complex cuts or perforations that are difficult to manufacture reliably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional outside-in removal approach by implementing inside-out removal. The needle shield remover is positioned centrally and connects to the liner at its center, allowing the liner to be peeled from the adhesive pad by pulling from the inside outward. This inversion enables simultaneous removal of both the needle shield and liner in a single user action, while the complex perforation pattern is designed to spiral outward from the center, making the liner removable without requiring additional cuts or reinforcements at junction points.
Solution Approach 2:
The liner is segmented into multiple sections through a spiral perforation pattern that divides the liner into concentric segments. These segments are connected through the spiral cut pattern, allowing the liner to be peeled away in a controlled manner from the adhesive pad. The segmentation enables the liner to be removed in a single continuous motion while maintaining structural integrity during the removal process.
2Productivity
If the liner is peeled from the center outward, then simultaneous removal of needle shield and liner is achieved, but the user experience becomes awkward and confusing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional outside-in removal approach by implementing inside-out removal. The needle shield remover is positioned centrally and connects to the liner at its center, allowing the liner to be peeled from the adhesive pad by pulling from the inside outward. This inversion enables simultaneous removal of both the needle shield and liner in a single user action, while the complex perforation pattern is designed to spiral outward from the center, making the liner removable without requiring additional cuts or reinforcements at junction points.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle shield remover acts as an intermediary tool that mediates the removal process. It connects to the center of the liner and provides a grasping portion for the user, translating the user's pulling motion into controlled peeling of the liner from the adhesive pad. The intermediary structure includes a hinge mechanism that allows the remover to pivot and follow the spiral perforation pattern, making the inside-out removal motion more intuitive and easier for users to perform correctly.
3Productivity
If the liner is removed via inside-out peeling, then single-step removal is achieved, but impulse loading may cause tearing at cut junctions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional outside-in removal approach by implementing inside-out removal. The needle shield remover is positioned centrally and connects to the liner at its center, allowing the liner to be peeled from the adhesive pad by pulling from the inside outward. This inversion enables simultaneous removal of both the needle shield and liner in a single user action, while the complex perforation pattern is designed to spiral outward from the center, making the liner removable without requiring additional cuts or reinforcements at junction points.
Solution Approach 2:
The liner is pre-perforated with a spiral cut pattern during manufacturing, creating a predetermined removal path before use. This preliminary action prepares the liner for inside-out removal by establishing weak points along the spiral trajectory, allowing the liner to be peeled away cleanly without requiring additional cuts or reinforcements during the removal process. The pre-established spiral perforations distribute the impulse loading along the entire spiral path rather than concentrating it at junction points.
Data Source
AI summary
A drug delivery system includes a housing, a needle having a retracted position within the housing and an extended position outside of the housing, an adhesive pad element coupled to a bottom portion of the housing, the adhesive pad element including a primary adhesive layer and a removable liner, and a needle shield portion. The system also includes a needle shield remover having an elongated member configured to extend along the bottom portion of the housing in a first position and extend away from the bottom portion of the housing in a second position, a bottom surface portion of the elongated member being coupled to the removable liner proximate to an edge location of the adhesive pad element such that the removable liner is peeled away from the primary adhesive layer when the elongated member of the needle shield remover is moved from the first position to the second position.