Prescription Bottle Jig With Fill Markers and Weight Alert
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-volume pharmacies face challenges in accurately measuring and filling liquid medication in bottles during the prescription filling process, particularly in ensuring the correct volume and maintaining temperature-related storage and handling requirements for safety and efficacy.
Innovation Solution
A bottle measuring device with a jig featuring a floor and vertically extending walls, measurement markers, and a scale that triggers an alert when the desired weight is reached, along with illumination for visibility, ensuring precise filling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual filling methods are used, then operation flexibility is maintained, but measurement precision and filling accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The jig enables self-service measurement by providing built-in measurement markers that allow the filling process to self-regulate. The operator simply fills the bottle until the liquid reaches the marked level, eliminating the need for complex external measurement devices while maintaining high accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement markers are pre-marked on the jig during manufacturing, allowing for preliminary calibration. This eliminates the need for complex real-time measurement calculations during the filling process, as the reference levels are already established and visible.
2Measurement precision
If visual inspection alone is used, then device complexity is minimized, but measurement precision deteriorates due to poor visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination system serves itself by using the bottle's own contents as the light source. The liquid medication is illuminated from below, causing it to glow and become highly visible against the dark background of the jig, eliminating the need for separate high-energy lighting systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The illumination causes the liquid medication to exhibit color changes or glow effects that enhance its visibility. This optical phenomenon allows for precise visual measurement without requiring intense or energy-consuming light sources.
3Measurement precision
If automated alert systems are added, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The scale provides automatic feedback by triggering an alert when the desired weight is reached. This simple feedback mechanism ensures precise filling without requiring complex control systems, as the alert directly indicates when the target fill level is achieved.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service monitoring through the scale and alert mechanism. The operator simply needs to pay attention to the alert signal, which automatically indicates when the correct fill level is reached, eliminating the need for manual measurement judgments.
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
Enables quick and accurate filling of medication bottles to the correct volume, enhancing safety and efficacy by ensuring precise measurement and temperature compliance.
Implementation Method 1
The floor includes at least one light for illuminating the liquid medication in the bottle during the filling process
Data Source
AI summary
The bottle measuring device includes a jig that has a floor. At least one wall extends upwardly from the floor and partially surrounds a bottle receiving space. The jig also includes a plurality of measurement markers that are spaced vertically apart from one another on the at least one wall to indicate a fill level of the bottle when the bottle is in the bottle receiving space of the jig. The bottle measuring device can be used during filling of a medication bottle in a pharmacy setting.