Electronic Module Power Management for Drug Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drug delivery devices with non-rechargeable, non-user replaceable power sources, such as coin-cell batteries, face challenges in managing power resources effectively due to voltage drops caused by large current flows, which can lead to reduced device lifespan and potential power interruptions.
Innovation Solution
The electronic module incorporates a processor that prevents data transfer during operations that consume high power, such as LED flashing or sensor activities, and limits data packet size and transfer rate to minimize voltage drops, ensuring efficient power management and extending the device's operational life by pacing activities that cause current drains.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data transfer is performed during high-power operations (LED flashing, sensor activities), then communication functionality is maintained, but voltage drops occur reducing device lifespan and causing power interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The processor periodically schedules high-power operations (LED flashing, sensor activities) and data transfer operations at different time intervals, preventing concurrent execution. This periodic scheduling ensures that voltage drops from high-power operations do not coincide with data transfer, thereby extending device lifespan while maintaining communication functionality over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The processor identifies and schedules data transfer operations before high-power operations, or delays data transfer until after high-power operations complete. This preliminary scheduling prevents voltage drops during data transfer, ensuring reliable communication while avoiding power interruptions that would reduce device lifespan.
2Duration of action of moving object
If data packet size and transfer rate are limited, then voltage drops are minimized extending operational life, but data transfer efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The processor divides data transfer into smaller packets and schedules them at different time intervals, preventing large data transfers from coinciding with high-power operations. This segmentation allows limited packet sizes to be used without significantly impacting overall data transfer efficiency, while minimizing voltage drops and extending operational life.
Solution Approach 2:
The processor dynamically adjusts data transfer parameters (packet size, transfer rate, timing) based on the operational state of the device. When high-power operations are detected, the processor reduces data transfer intensity; when power consumption is low, the processor increases data transfer efficiency. This dynamic adaptation maintains productivity while extending operational life.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic module for a drug delivery device comprises a dose setting and drive mechanism configured to perform a dose setting operation for setting a dose to be delivered by the drug delivery device and a dose delivery operation. The module comprises a processor, a sensor arrangement, a communication unit with a wireless communication interface connected to the processor and operable to establish communication with another device and to transfer data to the other device, an electronic user feedback generator, a memory, and a power source. The processor is configured to prevent data transfer by the communication interface during operation of the electronic user feedback generator and/or of the sensor arrangement, and/or limit the amount of data transferred by the communication interface at any one time by limiting the packet size of the data transferred by the communication interface, and/or limit the rate at which data is transferred.