Drug Delivery Device Transparent Window Glare Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current drug delivery devices, such as insulin pens, face challenges in accurately monitoring and tracking injected doses due to glare and reflections from the dose window, which hinder the optical character recognition process and overall image quality, affecting the ability to reliably capture and display dose information.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating transparent light guides adjacent to the dose window and modifying the positioning of illumination sources to prevent direct incidence on the window, ensuring that light is diffused and reflected internally to reduce glare, while maintaining even illumination of the number sleeve for improved image capture and recognition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If illumination sources are positioned to directly illuminate the dose window, then the number sleeve is well-lit for reading, but glare and reflections occur that hinder optical character recognition
Solution Approach 1:
A light guide is introduced as an intermediary component between the illumination source and the dose window. The light guide receives light from the illumination source and guides it to illuminate the number sleeve indirectly, preventing direct light from causing glare and reflections on the dose window while still providing sufficient illumination for optical character recognition
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting approach is changed from direct illumination (one-dimensional line of sight) to indirect illumination through a light guide (adding a spatial dimension). The light travels through the light guide structure rather than directly from the source to the window, changing the geometric relationship and eliminating the direct reflection path that causes glare
2Loss of information
If a transparent window is used to display dose information, then the number sleeve is visible for monitoring, but glare and reflections reduce image quality and recognition reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide serves as a mediator that separates the illumination function from the display function. It allows the transparent window to maintain its visibility function while the light guide handles the illumination delivery, preventing the window from being directly exposed to harsh lighting that causes glare
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting is localized and directed specifically to where it is needed (the number sleeve area) through the light guide structure, rather than having diffuse light illuminate the entire window area. This creates optimal illumination quality in the specific region of interest while minimizing glare in other areas
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 solution enhances the ability to accurately capture and display dose information, reducing glare and reflections, thereby improving the reliability of optical character recognition and user feedback, and enabling better tracking of medication usage.
Implementation Method 1
light is diffused and reflected internally to reduce glare
Implementation Method 2
light is diffused and reflected internally to reduce glare
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b~2a
Figure 2b~2c
AI summary
The present invention relates to a drug delivery device (10) comprising: a housing; a moveable number sleeve (19) disposed within the housing and having numbers printed thereon; and a transparent window occupying an aperture of the housing and covering the number sleeve such that the number sleeve is visible through the transparent window, wherein at least one region of the housing located adjacent the transparent window is transparent to visible light and is in optical communication with the transparent window.