Eye Drop Applicator With Pressure Relief Passage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional eye drop application techniques often fail to accurately deliver a single drop to the conjunctival sac, resulting in wasted medication as drops frequently roll down the face instead of being administered effectively.
Innovation Solution
An eye drop applicator design featuring a top cavity, bottom cavity, and a dispensing channel connecting the two, with a flow controller to manage fluid flow and a relief passage for pressure equalization, allowing for controlled dispensing and minimizing siphoning back into the container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional eye drop application techniques are used, then the application process is simple, but the medication is wasted and application accuracy is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The applicator is divided into distinct functional segments: a reservoir for holding multiple drops, a dispensing channel for controlled flow, a top cavity for receiving and positioning a single drop, and a conjunctival sac for application. This segmentation allows precise control over drop delivery, ensuring one drop is dispensed at a time while preventing waste from multiple drops rolling down the face.
Solution Approach 2:
The top cavity acts as an intermediary chamber between the dispensing channel and the conjunctival sac. It receives the drop from the dispensing channel, positions it correctly, and then allows controlled transfer to the eye. This intermediary structure prevents direct uncontrolled flow from the reservoir to the eye, thereby improving application accuracy and preventing medication waste.
2Ease of operation
If a simple dispensing structure is used, then the device complexity is low, but fluid flow control and pressure equalization are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The applicator incorporates dynamic elements including a flow controller that can open and close to regulate fluid flow, and a relief passage with a relief controller that opens under pressure to equalize forces. These dynamic components allow the device to automatically adjust its operation based on pressure conditions, improving ease of operation while maintaining manageable structural complexity through automated pressure-responsive mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The relief passage is designed to automatically open when pressure differential becomes excessive, equalizing pressure without user intervention. The flow controller automatically regulates drop dispensing based on pressure conditions. This self-service mechanism simplifies operation for the user while the internal pressure-responsive structures handle flow control and pressure equalization automatically.
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
The solution enables precise and efficient delivery of a predetermined amount of eye drops directly to the eye, reducing waste and improving application accuracy while maintaining safety by preventing fluid from returning to the container.
Implementation Method 1
a relief passage for pressure equalization, allowing for controlled dispensing and minimizing siphoning back into the container
Implementation Method 2
a dispensing channel connecting the bottom cavity with the top cavity such that a fluid can selectively flow through the dispensing channel and to the top cavity
Data Source
AI summary
An eye drop applicator includes an applicator body with a top cavity, a bottom cavity, and a dispensing channel connecting the bottom cavity with the top cavity such that a fluid can selectively flow through the dispensing channel to the top cavity. The top cavity includes an opening at a top end of the applicator body, and the bottom cavity includes a bottom opening at a bottom end of the applicator body. The bottom cavity may receive a portion of an applicator container within the bottom cavity to assemble the eye drop applicator with the applicator container containing the fluid to be dispensed.