Eye Drop Dispenser With Integrated Eye Cup for Accurate 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 error or tremors, especially affecting children and the elderly.
Innovation Solution
An eye drop dispenser assembly featuring a nipple, cap, and integrated eye cup that facilitates precise delivery by aligning the nipple with the eye, reducing contamination risks through a seal and preventing contact with the eye.
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 medication is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The dispenser is segmented into distinct functional components: a reservoir for medication, a dispensing mechanism with controlled opening, and an eye cup with positioning features. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The eye cup is pre-formed with a circumferential wall and distal edge designed to fit over the eye socket, and the dispensing mechanism is pre-configured with the nipple positioned at the correct height. This preliminary design ensures accurate delivery without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms during use
2Reliability
If existing eye drop dispensers are used, then the device structure is simple, but contamination risk increases due to touching the eye or face
Solution Approach 1:
The nipple is extracted from direct contact with the eye by positioning it between the distal edge of the eye cup and the dispenser body. The eye cup acts as an intermediary that receives the medication and delivers it to the eye, separating the dispensing mechanism from the contamination zone
Solution Approach 2:
The eye cup serves as an intermediary component between the nipple and the eye. It captures the dispensed medication and delivers it to the eye socket, preventing direct contact between the dispenser and the user's face or eye, thereby reducing contamination risk
3Productivity
If existing eye drop dispensers are used, then the device is simple, but multiple attempts are needed which wastes medication and time
Solution Approach 1:
The eye cup and nipple are pre-configured in fixed positions with the nipple height less than half the eye cup height. This preliminary positioning ensures that a single dispensing action delivers medication accurately into the eye, eliminating the need for multiple attempts and reducing medication waste
Solution Approach 2:
The design adds the dimensional aspect of the eye cup's circumferential wall extending around the nipple, creating a three-dimensional structure that guides medication flow and ensures accurate delivery in a single attempt, improving productivity and reducing waste
4Ease of operation
If existing eye drop dispensers are used, then the device is simple to operate, but users with tremors cannot deliver drops accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into a stable base (dispenser body), a positioning structure (eye cup with circumferential wall), and a dispensing mechanism (nipple). This segmentation provides structural stability that compensates for hand tremors while maintaining ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The eye cup and nipple are pre-positioned in fixed relationships with specific height constraints. This preliminary configuration creates a stable, tremor-resistant structure that delivers accurate results without requiring precise manual dexterity from the user
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. An eye cup is fixedly coupled to the dispenser bottle around the nipple. 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.