Eyedrop Biosensor with Pressure Activation and Tear Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients often fail to adhere to eyedrop dosage instructions, and existing methods for monitoring eye environment conditions like temperature and glucose levels are cumbersome and uncomfortable, such as contact lenses that can blur vision and cause discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A wireless biosensor system that includes a detection and activation circuit coupled to an eyedrop dispenser, which uses a pressure transducer to detect force and transmit signals to a wireless biosensor inserted into the eyelid, allowing for the monitoring of physical and chemical changes in tears during eyedrop usage, including temperature and glucose levels, with a fingerprint identification sensor for user authentication and a display for feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If contact lenses are used to measure temperature and glucose levels in the eye, then measurement capability is improved, but patient comfort and field of view deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the sensing function from contact lenses and places it in a separate wearable device positioned near the eye. This allows the measurement capability to be maintained while eliminating the discomfort and vision obstruction caused by contact lenses, as the sensor is no longer in direct contact with the eye surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary wearable device that contains the temperature and glucose sensors. This intermediary device is positioned near the eye to capture environmental data without requiring direct contact with the eye, thus maintaining measurement accuracy while improving patient comfort and eliminating field of view obstruction.
2Reliability
If contact lenses are used for eye environment monitoring, then sensing capability is improved, but patient compliance and comfort worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing functionality is extracted from contact lenses and relocated to a separate wearable device. This maintains the reliability of monitoring through accurate temperature and glucose sensing while eliminating the discomfort that causes poor patient compliance with contact lens wear.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a disposable or replaceable sensor tip that can be easily changed. This approach maintains monitoring reliability through consistent sensor performance while improving comfort and compliance, as patients do not need to wear uncomfortable contact lenses continuously and can replace sensors as needed.
3Measurement precision
If continuous monitoring of eyedrop usage is implemented, then compliance tracking is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic sampling of temperature and glucose levels rather than truly continuous monitoring. The sensor takes measurements at predetermined intervals or upon detection of eyedrop application events, which maintains compliance tracking accuracy while significantly reducing power consumption and simplifying the device architecture compared to continuous high-frequency sampling.
Solution Approach 2:
The wearable device automatically detects eyedrop usage through temperature changes and glucose level variations, eliminating the need for manual patient input or complex user interfaces. This self-service approach improves compliance tracking accuracy while minimizing device complexity by using passive environmental sensing rather than active patient reporting systems.
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 system effectively tracks eyedrop usage, providing accurate and comfortable monitoring of eye health parameters, enhancing patient compliance and eye health maintenance by offering real-time feedback and secure usage tracking.
Implementation Method 1
The detection and activation circuit includes a pressure transducer detecting a force applied to the pressure transducer. The pressure transducer transmits a signal upon detecting a force at, or above, a threshold value.
Implementation Method 2
the sensor includes a temperature sensor to detect a change in a temperature to the tears as a result of the eyedrop usage during the activation time
Implementation Method 3
the sensor includes a glucose sensor to detect a change in a glucose concentration of the eye during the activation time
Implementation Method 4
The detection and activation circuit includes a fingerprint identification sensor to detect a user's fingerprint to identify which user is using the eyedrop dispenser
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for monitoring eyedrop usage are disclosed. Example embodiments include a system to monitor eyedrop usage. The system may include a detection and activation circuit couplable to a wireless biosensor and an eyedrop dispenser. The detection and activation circuit may include a pressure transducer that transmits a signal upon detecting a force at, or above, a threshold value. The system may also include a wireless biosensor insertable into a region of an eyelid. The wireless biosensor may include a sensor to detect the physical change and the chemical change of tears as a result of eyedrop usage. The wireless biosensor may also include a transceiver to receive the signal that activates the sensor for an activation time.