Implantable UV Sensor Microchip for Accurate Dose Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wearable UV dose monitors are limited by their bulky design and restricted placement on the body, leading to inconsistent and less accurate UV light exposure monitoring.
Innovation Solution
An implantable microchip system with a solar cell and data telemetry transmitter is injected under the skin, wirelessly transmitting UV light intensity data to a remote reader for accurate UV dose calculation, which includes a power system for energy efficiency and a UV filtering structure for precise UV light measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wearable UV dose monitors are integrated into watches or bracelets, then UV dose monitoring capability is provided, but the device becomes bulky and placement is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the UV sensing functionality from bulky wearable devices and implants it directly into the skin as a microchip. The implantable sensor contains only the essential sensing elements (photodiodes with UV filters) and minimal electronics, eliminating the need for large batteries, housing, and complex processing units required in traditional wearable monitors.
Solution Approach 2:
The implantable sensor is designed as a compact microchip that can be injected into the skin, nesting the sensing functionality within the human body itself. This eliminates the need for external wearable housings and allows the sensor to be carried everywhere the person goes, ensuring consistent monitoring without the bulk of traditional devices.
2Reliability
If wearable UV dose monitors are placed on specific body locations, then UV monitoring is enabled, but placement restrictions reduce measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The implantable sensor serves itself by being carried passively within the body wherever the person goes. Unlike wearable devices that must be consciously worn on exposed skin, the implanted sensor automatically follows the user's movements and is present at all locations where UV exposure occurs, eliminating placement compliance issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from external surface mounting (2D placement on skin) to internal implantation (3D integration within tissue). This dimensional change allows the sensor to be positioned deeper in the skin where it can detect UV radiation transmitted through tissue, providing a new measurement dimension that complements surface-level monitoring.
3Measurement precision
If consistent wear of UV dose monitor is increased, then UV dose measurement accuracy improves, but bulky design hinders consistent use
Solution Approach 1:
Once implanted, the sensor requires no user action to maintain consistent monitoring. It operates autonomously within the body, detecting UV radiation continuously without requiring the user to remember to wear or adjust the device. The sensor becomes part of the user, eliminating the behavioral compliance issues that plague wearable devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical wearable device (requiring straps, clips, or adhesives) with a minimally invasive implantation procedure. The microchip is injected into the skin using a needle, eliminating the mechanical components that make wearable devices bulky and uncomfortable. This substitution transforms a cumbersome external device into a seamless internal implant.
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 implantable system provides continuous, accurate, and efficient UV light monitoring with minimal discomfort, enhancing user experience and improving the accuracy of UV dose measurement compared to traditional wearable devices.
Implementation Method 1
The microchip may include a solar cell
Implementation Method 2
a first sensor cell that absorbs UV light that passes through the skin
Data Source
AI summary
An ultra violet (UV) light dose monitoring system may include an implantable microchip for injection below the surface of a person's skin. The microchip may include a solar cell, a data telemetry transmitter, and a first sensor cell that absorbs UV light that passes through the skin. The system may also include a remote reader. The remote reader may include a data telemetry receiver that receives the data from the microchip and a processor for controlling operation of the remote reader. The data telemetry transmitter may transmit data indicative of a UV light intensity for the UV light absorbed by the first sensor cell to the data telemetry receiver, and the processor may calculate a UV dose based on the data.