On-body injector flow detection using force and temperature sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing on-body drug delivery devices may fail to detect fluid flow blockages or irregularities, leading to improper drug administration, as they lack mechanisms to diagnose and alert patients or healthcare professionals.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a temperature sensor and a force sensor into the on-body injector, coupled with a controller that analyzes the measured temperature and force to detect deviations from expected values, generating an error signal if irregularities in fluid flow are detected, thereby alerting the user or healthcare professional.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If no flow detection mechanism is included in the on-body injector, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of drug delivery is compromised due to inability to detect blockages or irregularities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical flow detection mechanisms with a simplified system using a force sensor to measure piston force and a temperature sensor to measure drug temperature. This substitution maintains detection capability while reducing mechanical complexity, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces temperature as an intermediary parameter to indirectly detect fluid flow irregularities. By measuring temperature changes in the drug reservoir, the system can infer flow blockages without direct mechanical intervention, improving reliability while keeping the detection mechanism simple.
2Reliability
If temperature and force sensors are added to detect fluid flow irregularities, then the reliability of drug delivery is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller serves multiple functions: it manages the drug delivery routine, processes temperature sensor data, processes force sensor data, and generates error signals when irregularities are detected. This multi-functionality consolidates control logic into a single component, improving fluid flow detection capability without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines temperature sensing and force sensing into a unified detection system that operates through a single controller. By merging these detection functions into one integrated system rather than separate independent systems, the patent improves reliability while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
3Measurement precision
If the controller continuously monitors temperature and force parameters, then the detection precision of flow irregularities is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller continuously monitors temperature and force parameters throughout the drug delivery routine to ensure precise detection of flow irregularities. This continuous monitoring maintains high measurement precision while the system remains active and powered, balancing detection precision with energy consumption during the delivery process.
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
Ensures proper drug delivery by identifying and alerting to potential blockages or flow issues, ensuring the patient receives the correct amount of medication at the right time, enhancing the reliability of on-body injectors.
Implementation Method 1
A temperature sensor may be associated with the drug reservoir and configured to provide a signal to the controller that is indicative of a temperature of the drug within the drug reservoir
Implementation Method 2
A force sensor may be associated with the piston rod and configured to provide a signal to the controller that is indicative of a force experienced by the piston during the drug delivery routine
Implementation Method 3
The controller may analyze the signals from the sensors to determine whether fluid flow through an on-body injector is prevented, reduced, or otherwise irregular
Data Source
AI summary
An on-body injector includes a drug reservoir with an associated temperature sensor. A piston having an associated force sensor is driven to convey a drug out of the drug reservoir during a drug delivery routine. The temperature and force sensors are electrically coupled to a controller that controls the components of the on-body injector to execute a drug delivery routine. The controller receives signals from the temperature sensor indicative of a temperature of the drug within the reservoir and from the force sensor indicative of a force experienced by the piston during the drug delivery routine. The controller analyzes the signals to determine whether the measured force is different from an expected force at the measured temperature. The controller generates an error signal when the measured force is different from the expected force at the measured temperature.