Doug Kerr
Well-known member
I have Type 2 diabetes, and I use on a routine basis, by subcutaneous injection, two types of insulin, one long-acting and one quick-acting. In general, I have administered the injections of these with two different types of prefilled insulin pens. These are basically like hypodermic syringes, preloaded with 3 mL of insulin solution (equivalent to 300 international units - IU - of insulin), enough for multiple doses, and equipped with mechanisms so that the user can preset the desired dose and then deliver it though the (replaceable) needle.
As you might expect, not too long after I began the use of these devices, I felt the need to understand how they worked. I dissected one of each design and reverse-engineered the mechanisms, which were dramatically different between the two designs, but both ingenious, complicated, and intricate.
I then took extensive photographs of the internal components, and prepared for each a series of schematic cross-section drawings of the mechanisms. I used all of these to illustrate extensive discussions of the mechanisms and their working in a technical article, published in 2011.
Recently, Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of one of the two types, introduced a new version, with a rather different method of operation from the user's perspective and a wholly new mechanism. So of course I had to dissect and reverse-engineer this version, take photos of some on the innards, make a schematic cross section drawing of the mechanism, and add to the article a thorough description of this new version and the operation of its mechanism.
The updated article, still entitled "Insulin Pens and Their Mechanisms", is available here:
Best regards,
Doug
As you might expect, not too long after I began the use of these devices, I felt the need to understand how they worked. I dissected one of each design and reverse-engineered the mechanisms, which were dramatically different between the two designs, but both ingenious, complicated, and intricate.
I then took extensive photographs of the internal components, and prepared for each a series of schematic cross-section drawings of the mechanisms. I used all of these to illustrate extensive discussions of the mechanisms and their working in a technical article, published in 2011.
Recently, Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of one of the two types, introduced a new version, with a rather different method of operation from the user's perspective and a wholly new mechanism. So of course I had to dissect and reverse-engineer this version, take photos of some on the innards, make a schematic cross section drawing of the mechanism, and add to the article a thorough description of this new version and the operation of its mechanism.
The updated article, still entitled "Insulin Pens and Their Mechanisms", is available here:
Best regards,
Doug
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