Fluid Dispenser Actuation Force Detection and Emergency Alerting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing single-dose or two-dose fluid dispenser devices do not effectively alert emergency services when a user attempts but fails to actuate the device, particularly for sensitive drugs like Naloxone or epinephrine, where timely medical attention is crucial.
Innovation Solution
A fluid dispenser device equipped with a sensor system and an electronic module that detects actuation attempts through pressure sensors and other sensors, automatically making an emergency call via wireless communication modules like GSM or Bluetooth when a sufficient actuation force is detected, ensuring timely alerting of emergency services even if the actuation is unsuccessful.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing dispenser devices are used without additional sensing capabilities, then the device structure remains simple and inexpensive, but the device cannot detect unsuccessful actuation attempts and therefore cannot alert emergency services
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is configured to detect actuation attempts before the dispensing mechanism is activated. Pressure sensors on the dispensing head and body detect user interaction prior to successful actuation, enabling early warning of potential emergencies without requiring complex post-actuation monitoring systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces purely mechanical actuation detection with electronic sensing systems. Pressure sensors, capacitive sensors, or other electronic detection mechanisms substitute for mechanical switches or levers, enabling more sensitive and reliable detection of actuation attempts while maintaining relatively simple device architecture.
2Loss of time
If the device waits for successful dispensing before alerting emergency services, then false alerts are reduced, but timely emergency assistance is lost when actuation fails
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of actuation attempts through pressure sensors before the dispensing mechanism executes. This early detection enables immediate emergency alerting while the user is still interacting with the device, eliminating the time loss associated with waiting for successful dispensing completion.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system provides continuous feedback during the actuation process. Pressure sensors monitor the force applied by the user in real-time, and this feedback is transmitted to the electronic module which can immediately initiate emergency alerts when insufficient force is detected, creating a closed-loop response system that balances speed and accuracy.
3Reliability
If pressure sensors with high sensitivity thresholds are used, then false alerts from minor touches are reduced, but the ability to detect weak actuation attempts is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multiple pressure sensors with different sensitivity thresholds positioned at various locations on the dispensing head and body. By changing the detection parameters across multiple sensing points, the system can distinguish between genuine actuation attempts and incidental contacts, reducing false alerts while maintaining high detection accuracy for legitimate uses.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses multiple sensors detecting actuation forces greater than 5N (advantageously greater than 10N) or pressure greater than 0.5 bar (advantageously greater than 1 bar). This partial action threshold approach ensures that only significant actuation attempts trigger alerts, filtering out minor touches while maintaining sensitivity to genuine emergency situations.
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 device ensures timely emergency alerts during unsuccessful actuation attempts, enhancing patient safety for sensitive drugs by automatically contacting emergency services when the user tries but fails to dispense the medication, thereby addressing the limitations of existing devices.
Implementation Method 1
said at least a first sensor being a pressure sensor, said sensor system detecting an attempt to actuate said device when said at least a first sensor is activated
Data Source
AI summary
Device for dispensing a fluid product having a body (1) and dispensing head (2) provided with a dispensing opening (3) and axially movable with respect to the body (1) during actuation. The body (1) accommodates a reservoir (10) containing one or two doses of fluid product. The device has an electronic module (100) with a wireless communication module (101), a geographical location module (102), and a power source (103). The device has a system of sensors (200, 201, 202) for detecting and signaling, automatically, an attempt to actuate the device, when a first sensor (200) is activated. The wireless communication module (101) is adapted to make an automatic emergency call to an emergency number when the sensor system detects an attempt to actuate the. The first sensor is activated when it detects an actuation force greater than 5N or 10N.