Injection Pen Dose Tracking With Wireless Companion Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems lack an automated and efficient way to track and communicate medication doses administered through injection pens, particularly for self-administered therapies, making it difficult for patients to know if a dose has been given and complicating medication management.
Innovation Solution
An intelligent medicine administration system comprising an injection pen with sensors and a companion device, such as a smartphone, that detects and records dose sizes, distinguishes between prime and therapy doses, and provides dose tracking, logging, and communication capabilities, including a software application for dose calculation and control features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If manual tracking of medication doses is used, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision and reliability of dose tracking deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The injection pen automatically tracks and communicates dose information without requiring manual intervention. The sensor unit detects dose dispensing events and the processor automatically records, stores, and transmits dose data to the companion device, eliminating the need for manual tracking while ensuring accurate measurement of each dose event.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical tracking with an automated electronic sensing and communication system. The sensor unit detects dose dispensing through mechanical movement within the injection pen, converts this to electrical signals, and transmits data wirelessly to a companion device, substituting manual record-keeping with automated electronic measurement and communication.
2Measurement precision
If automated dose tracking with wireless communication is implemented, then measurement precision and reliability improve, but device complexity and loss of energy increase
Solution Approach 1:
The injection pen integrates multiple functions into a single device: dose dispensing, sensor-based dose detection, data processing, wireless communication, and power supply. This multi-functional integration reduces the need for separate devices and manual tracking systems, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining automated tracking capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the tracking and communication functions from the injection pen itself and places them in a separate companion device (smartphone or tablet). This division allows the injection pen to remain relatively simple while the companion device handles complex data processing, storage, and communication tasks, reducing the complexity burden on the injection pen.
3Reliability
If continuous monitoring and communication of dose data is implemented, then reliability and measurement precision improve, but loss of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous monitoring, the system uses periodic action where the sensor unit detects and records dose dispensing events, then wirelessly transmits the data to the companion device at appropriate intervals. This periodic transmission approach maintains reliable tracking of dose administration while significantly reducing power consumption compared to continuous monitoring and transmission.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for administering a medicament to a patient. In one aspect, a system includes an injection pen device in wireless communication with a mobile communication device. The injection pen device includes a housing including a chamber to encase a cartridge containing medicine, a dose setting and dispensing mechanism to set the mechanism to dispense a particular dose of the medicine from the loaded cartridge, a sensor unit to detect a dispensed dose based on positions and/or movements of the dose setting and dispensing mechanism, and an electronics unit in communication with the sensor unit to process the detected dispensed dose and time data associated with a dispensing event and to wirelessly transmit the dose data to a user's device. The mobile communication device provides a software application to provide the user with health information using the processed dose data.