Flexible Light Guide for Dialysis Machine Status Display
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing machines for extracorporeal blood treatment, such as dialysis machines, face challenges in achieving uniform and sufficient light distribution for displaying operating states due to the need for multiple light sources and complex cabling, which increases installation space and maintenance costs, and often the light sources can only illuminate at their installation location, limiting the ability to illuminate larger areas or display information effectively.
Innovation Solution
A machine with a light-emitting device that uses a flexible light guide or self-luminous OLED to direct light to any desired point on the machine, allowing for 360° status displays and ambient lighting, eliminating the need for light sources to be directly behind a diffuser and enabling improved visibility of the machine's status from all directions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple light sources are arranged directly behind a diffuser to illuminate larger areas, then the illuminated area increases, but the device complexity and installation space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the illumination function into separate components: a light guide element that transports light and a diffuser that distributes it. The light guide can be segmented into multiple sections (first light guide section, second light guide section) that can be independently routed and controlled, reducing the complexity of managing multiple light sources behind the diffuser.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a light guide as an intermediary component between the light source and the diffuser. This light guide transports light from a centralized or easily accessible location to the desired illumination area, eliminating the need to place multiple light sources directly behind the diffuser and reducing cabling complexity.
2Ease of operation
If light sources are arranged directly behind a diffuser, then light can be emitted at the installation location, but the light distribution uniformity and flexibility are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide acts as an intermediary that decouples the light source location from the illumination location. Light can be generated at a convenient location and transported through the light guide to any desired position on or around the device, providing flexibility in placement while maintaining uniform light distribution through the diffuser.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends the illumination from a two-dimensional plane (behind the diffuser) to three-dimensional space by allowing the light guide to be routed along different paths and positions. This enables light to be delivered to multiple locations and angles, improving both flexibility and uniformity of light distribution.
3Ease of manufacture
If individual lighting means are distributed throughout the device, then specific areas can be illuminated, but repair costs increase when lighting components fail
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple illumination functions into a single integrated light guide system. Instead of having separate lighting components distributed throughout the device, the light guide consolidates light transport into one component that can be easily replaced or maintained, reducing repair costs while still enabling customizable illumination patterns through different routing configurations.
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
This solution enhances the readability and recognizability of the machine's status with improved light distribution and reduced maintenance complexity, allowing for flexible placement of light sources and increased degrees of freedom in lighting technology, thereby improving user perception and accessibility of information.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible light guide (LLa to LLe), which has at least one front light coupling surface at a first end and at least one front light coupling surface at a second end
Implementation Method 2
a self-luminous, flat and/or flexible OLED device
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An extracorporeal blood treatment machine comprises at least a housing (1) forming part of the machine for accommodating operational components of the machine, and a diffuserless light-emitting device (LLa to LLe; OLa to OLc) for displaying an operating and/or therapeutic state of the machine according to the recirculating light principle, wherein the light-emitting device (LLa to LLe; OLa to OLe) is arranged in a predetermined path and/or with a predetermined shape on at least one section of the housing (1). The light-emitting device (LLa to LLe; OLa to OLe) is a flexible light guide (LLa to LLe) having at least one end-face light coupling surface at a first end and at least one end-face light output surface at a second end, or alternatively a self-illuminating, planar and/or flexible OLED device (OLa to OLe).