Eye Drop Dispenser With Eye Cup Alignment for Precise Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing eye drop dispensers fail to accurately deliver drops into the eye, often wasting medication and risking contamination due to user tremors or improper design, leading to decreased compliance.
Innovation Solution
A dispenser assembly with an eye cup and nipple configuration that aligns with the eye socket, preventing contact and facilitating precise drop delivery, while a seal inhibits leakage and contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If existing eye drop dispensers are used, then the device is simple and easy to manufacture, but the delivery accuracy is poor and contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dispenser is divided into distinct functional components: a dispensing mechanism and a separate eye cup. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function - the dispensing mechanism for controlled delivery and the eye cup for positioning and containment, thereby improving delivery accuracy without excessive complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The eye cup acts as an intermediary component between the dispenser and the eye. It provides a stable platform that positions the dispensing tip close to the eye without requiring direct contact, improving delivery accuracy while preventing contamination of the dispensing mechanism
2Loss of substance
If existing eye drop dispensers are used, then the device structure is simple, but medication waste increases due to multiple attempts
Solution Approach 1:
The eye cup is pre-positioned on the dispenser before use, and the dispenser is designed with pre-marked positioning features. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when the user applies the drops, the tip is already correctly positioned near the eye, reducing the need for multiple attempts and minimizing medication waste
Solution Approach 2:
The eye cup structure provides self-aligning features that guide the dispensing tip into the correct position automatically. This self-service positioning mechanism reduces the skill and precision required from the user, making the device easier to operate while improving delivery accuracy on the first attempt
3Object-affected harmful factors
If existing eye drop dispensers are used, then the dispenser design is simple, but contamination risk increases from touching the eye or face
Solution Approach 1:
The eye cup is designed as a separate, removable component that can be taken off and discarded after use. This extraction of the contamination-prone area from the main dispensing mechanism allows the sterile tip to remain protected while the eye cup contacts the eye, reducing contamination risk without significantly increasing overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The eye cup is designed as a disposable component that is discarded after a single use. This eliminates the need to sterilize and reuse the portion of the device that contacts the eye, significantly reducing contamination risk while keeping the main dispensing mechanism reusable and cost-effective
4Reliability
If existing eye drop dispensers are used, then the device is simple, but delivery consistency decreases for users with tremors
Solution Approach 1:
The eye cup provides a stable, fixed platform that holds the dispensing tip at a consistent position and angle. This creates an equipotential positioning system where the tip remains at the optimal delivery point regardless of minor hand movements or tremors, improving delivery consistency without complex active stabilization mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
A dispenser assembly includes a dispenser bottle having a nipple for dispensing a solution (e.g., eye drop solution, eye wash solution, eye lid cleaner and/or wash solution), and a cap removably couplable to the dispenser bottle over the nipple. The dispenser bottle has a chamber that removably receives a single-use vial cartridge. An eye cup is fixedly coupled to the dispenser bottle around the nipple, or the eye cup is detachable and invertible relative to the dispenser bottle. The eye cup can be supported on or rest on the periphery of the eye socket to facilitate delivery of the solution onto or over a user's eye.