Body Fluid Analysis Assembly with Automatic Finger Positioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Patients with visual impairments or limited mobility face difficulties in self-administering blood sugar measurements due to challenges in piercing with lancets and accurately guiding blood drops onto measurement strips, as existing systems require manual alignment and movement of the finger.

Innovation Solution

A device comprising a holding mechanism that securely positions a body section, allowing the lancet and analysis device to be adjusted automatically to the puncture and measurement points, enabling quasi-automatic blood removal and analysis without requiring finger movement, thus facilitating independent blood sugar monitoring for visually impaired and motor-disabled patients.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual alignment and finger movement are required for blood sugar measurement, then the system can be simple in structure, but visually impaired and motor-disabled patients cannot perform the measurement independently

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveIndependent operation for disabled patientsVSAvoidStructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The device enables patients to perform blood sugar measurements independently through self-service functionality. The holding device automatically positions the finger, and the system automatically aligns the lancet and measurement strip, eliminating the need for manual alignment assistance while maintaining simple operation for disabled patients

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The holding device performs preliminary actions by automatically positioning the finger in the correct orientation before the piercing and measurement steps. This preliminary positioning enables subsequent automatic alignment of the lancet and measurement strip without requiring manual intervention during critical measurement steps

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If the lancet and analysis device are manually aligned with the puncture site, then the device structure remains simple, but measurement precision and alignment accuracy deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveAlignment accuracyVSAvoidAlignment mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The holding device creates an equipotential positioning system where the finger, lancet, and measurement strip are all referenced to the same positional standard. The finger is held in a fixed orientation with the palm facing a specific direction, ensuring that the puncture site automatically aligns with the measurement area without requiring complex real-time adjustment mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #12Equipotentiality

Solution Approach 2:

The holding device acts as an intermediary between the patient's finger and the measurement system. It provides a standardized interface that automatically translates finger insertion into correct alignment with the lancet and measurement strip, eliminating the need for direct manual alignment between components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the finger must be correctly aligned manually, then the system can be compact, but patients with limited mobility cannot use the system

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveAccessibility for disabled patientsVSAvoidManual alignment difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The device enables patients to perform blood sugar measurements independently through self-service functionality. The holding device automatically positions the finger, and the system automatically aligns the lancet and measurement strip, eliminating the need for manual alignment assistance while maintaining simple operation for disabled patients

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of requiring the patient to manually align their finger with the device components, the invention inverts the approach by having the holding device automatically align the finger with the lancet and measurement strip. This reversal of the alignment process makes the system accessible to patients with limited mobility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP3496613B1Assembly for collecting and analyzing body fluid of patients
Publication Date: 2020.07.08 PASTOTTER ALBERT
  • EP3496613B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3496613B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3496613B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed is an assembly for collecting and analyzing body fluid of a patient, comprising at least one analysis device (1) and at least one lancet (2), the lancet (2) and the analysis device (1) being associated with a blocking mechanism (3) for the defined blocking of a body portion in relation to a defined puncturing and measuring point.